


Breaking the Chain

by LitoJohn



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2018-10-15
Packaged: 2018-12-03 08:32:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11528502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LitoJohn/pseuds/LitoJohn
Summary: Rookie cop Tsukasa Suou might have bitten off more than he can chew with his first important case:to locate the missing Leo Tsukinaga. Finding him was the easy part. The challenge was convincing him to stay... and show him that he still belonged.[ police + criminal AU ]





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Another rp-turned-fic. We were gonna wait to post this, but then Knights song previews came out. Ahaha...

Knights was a special investigation unit within Yumenosaki's police department. A separate division of police elites that were skilled enough to handle cases on their own - a good thing too given the unfortunately individualistic nature of its members. Their group was small, consisting of only a few members; though recently (and a tad unusual, as noted by the rest of the department) their membership had welcomed another: a young officer by the name of Tsukasa Suou. 

It was Izumi Sena, the current captain of the unit - an oddity in itself given his lack of motivation and constant complaining - that had suddenly decided to accept a new recruit. He wasn't exactly the nicest person, even yelling at their newbie often during his first few weeks in Knights. Another oddity given how Tsukasa had performed up-to-par on all his given assignments. Not that Izumi had given him any difficult ones... Probably to the frustration of the unusually hard-working junior.

Which is why he had decided to call Tsukasa into his office right before they were all scheduled to go home. Admittedly part of the reason he didn't want to give Tsukasa any difficult assignments was because he didn't want to throw him into possible danger since he was younger... It wasn't because he didn't trust his abilities. However, while tidying up his office earlier, he had noticed an old file that he hadn't put away... 

He had gone over the file so many times that he had the entire thing memorized, though it had been a while since he thought about it because it would always put him in a sullen mood. After a few minutes of recollecting himself, he pressed the intercom speaker.

"Kaaaaasa-kun. Report to my office."

Seated as his desk, Tsukasa was slowly typing up the report on his last assignment. It had been a fairly mundane case ( _again_ ), so there wasn't really much to report, but he also wasn't in a rush, either. After all, he had no other assignments lined up, to his endless frustration.

Tsukasa had graduated from the police academy with nary a complaint from any of his instructors. In fact, his instructors had seemed to praise him more than the other students, but if that was because of his genuine skill or to curry favor with the Suous, he wasn't entirely sure. Being the sole heir of the Suou fortune certainly placed him in a privileged position, but it also came with its downsides. Tsukasa had been accused of paying his way to the top by more than one of his fellow students, though nothing had ever come of the accusations.

In any case, no one could say that Tsukasa Suou was a lousy cop. But, he very much felt like one as he was saddled with what he was sure were the easiest cases his captain could find. It made sense that his cases wouldn't be as hard as his senior's, as they had more experience, but these felt so... Patronizing. Did these cases even belong to the Knights division?

Checking the clock, there wasn't much time before his shift was over, so he decided to get serious and finish his report. Or at least, he tried to, when he suddenly heard his name being called over the intercom.

Holding in a groan, he pushed out his chair and stood. _‘What is he going to yell at me about this time...'_ he thought sullenly as he made his way to the captain's office. Steeling himself and squaring his shoulders, he knocked twice before opening the door. "How can I help you, Captain?"

There was a slight bristle of discomfort whenever Izumi heard himself referred to as Captain. He still wasn't used to the title, only having acquired it not that long ago. It had been through... Unusual circumstances, and it felt odd for him to be called it by those who were his fellow peers just many months before.

At least his fellow Knights (besides Tsukasa, but in his case he didn’t know) didn't really do so unless they were purposely trying to be assholes. Which was the case. Sometimes.

It had become a bad habit of his to bully his juniors, whether or not they belonged within his unit. So when Tsukasa came into his office, expression all-but-failing to mask his obvious attempt to prepare for another one of Izumi's scoldings, the senior couldn't help but flash a slightly devious grin.

"Indulge me a bit Kasa-kun, why do you think I called you here~?"

He gestured for Tsukasa to take a seat in front of him. The case file was in clear view though it wasn’t labeled nor opened at the moment for Tsukasa to make any informed assumptions about it. 

"Umm..." Tsukasa took a seat as instructed, trying not to let his expression falter as he did so. _'Why...?'_ He tried to rack his brain for how things had gone on his last assignment. Izumi had scolded him for some things then, but with each case he had taken on the lectures had become less frequent. So, why now...?

Tsukasa caught a glimpse of the file on the table. If he wasn't being yelled at, then...? He did have no more cases lined up, so it made sense for him to be receiving another one, but he wondered why his captain had decided to tell him about it so close to the end of their day.

Asking if he was in trouble felt much too childish, so he decided to go with the more hopeful route.

"...Do you have a case for me, Captain?" As much as he wanted to, he didn't dare reach for the file without permission. That would have definitely unleashed a tongue lashing of epic proportions, and he was hoping to avoid that at all costs.

"A smart boy." Izumi leaned back in his chair, to put a bit more distance between them. Though Tsukasa had been in their unit for a while now, he really didn't make any effort to get to know or even talk to him outside of anything work-related. He didn't plan on cozying up with his coworkers, but it might've been useful to eventually understand what made the boy tick. Or enough to at least know what to knit for his birthday.

"I'm sure you're getting bored with your usual cases." Izumi gave him an amused look to make it obvious he was quite aware of how lackluster they were. "That's why I've decided you can work something more... Special for your next assignment."

Tsukasa gave a slightly uneasy smile in return to Izumi's look. So, he was aware Tsukasa found the cases beyond boring... At least he had still put his all into them, so that probably went in his favor.

Izumi gestured to the file, signaling for Tsukasa to open it, though he'd briefly go over the main points with him anyway. "This case involves the... Previous leader of Knights. The one who created this Unit, actually... Our King, if you will."

Their king, a man who went by Leo Tsukinaga who had decided to abandon Knights months ago. Abandoned the noble, just idealism of Knights and their respect for the law. Abandoned for reasons unknown even to those closest to him. Some had attributed it to madness - Leo was an eccentric character from the start, others had assumed it inevitable since being a genius usually meant...

 _'Previous Leader...?'_ Tsukasa flipped open the folder, taking in the picture attached to the file. Staring back at him was a man with fiery orange hair and bright green eyes, and though it was his personnel photo (and therefore meant to be serious), he was also sporting a great big grin.

Tsukasa wasn't very impressed. This was the one who created Knights? And then he just left? _'What a sorry excuse for a Leader,'_ Tsukasa thought to himself as he flipped through the remaining pages briefly.

The case file didn’t detail much other than his appearance, some of his accomplishments in the line of duty, some of his frequent hangouts from before his disappearance, a few guesses as to what changed...

"Find him. A source suggests that he should still be in this city somewhere." Izumi made a mental note to thank Ruka later for still keeping in touch with him and updating him whenever a hint of her stupid brother was around.

"It's already late so I want you on the case first thing tomorrow. Well, after tomorrow's daily briefing. Got it~?"

"I understand," Tsukasa answered as he stood and gave a slight bow. "I won't let you down, Captain. This Tsukasa Suou shall find this errant Leader of Knights, no matter what." With that, he turned back to the door and left the office, returning to his desk. He quickly typed out the end of his report, but decided to leave printing it for tomorrow. He'd get in early and do it before the daily briefing, so it wouldn't be an issue.

Placing the folder in his bag with his other belongings, he turned off his computer before heading out the door, waving to his fellow officers still in the building. He took his familiar route to the train station. Since leaving the Suou manor and his driver behind, Tsukasa had to learn the ins and outs of public transport. The train-lines themselves were easy to figure out, but the crowd during rush hour was brutal. Thankfully he only had to deal with crowds in the morning, getting off much later than most people did for work.

Hopping off the train, he continued on his short trek back to his apartment. While he may have distanced himself from his family - both as part of a way to keep accusations that he was letting them influence his higher ups at bay, and a way to protect them - they had insisted on paying for his new residence. So he had ended up with a fairly nice apartment close to the station. It was almost too big for one person, as he found himself struggling to maintain it at times. But it was a nice place to return to after a long day of work.

Tsukasa inserted his key, turning the lock with a deep sigh. There was something about coming home that always relaxed him. Though, he had to say, something felt just slightly off... Perhaps he was just excited to have a real case, to have the Captain finally trust in him. He placed his bag down by the entryway before locking the door back up behind him, them making his way into the living room.

 

* * *

 

For someone who claimed to be in search of aliens, Leo himself was quite the anomaly. Small in stature for someone his age, it should've been impossible for him to do a number of feats - one of which was break into someone else's rather large (nice though kinda pretentious and stuffy-looking in Leo's very good opinion) apartment.

His methodology wasn't complex, he simply had scaled the side of the building like an Olympics-bound gremlin (maybe while humming the Spider-man theme - but no one needs to know that) and climbed through the window. After shattering it. With a well-placed jolly rancher. And a hammer. But anyway, he had ended up in the bedroom and being the -  _ahem_   - polite gentleman that he is, made sure to move all the broken shards of glass to the side near the wall to prevent any dangerous unaware missteps.

Since he had spent a good chunk of his early evening climbing, he decided to spend the rest of his day relaxing and goofing off - which he did until he heard the click of the door signifying that the owner of this apartment was home.

There probably wasn't a good explanation for why the living room had been covered from wall to floor with lines upon lines of colored ink with random gibberish nestled in between those lines in a bold black. Letters, numbers, foreign characters, and even the occasional emoji gave the writings the appearance of a paranoid person's very _very_ long password.

There probably also wasn't a good explanation for Leo being perched atop a cabinet near the doorway out of the other's line of sight - like a leary cat waiting to pounce upon any unsuspecting victim who approached too closely.

 

* * *

 

As Tsukasa had walked into the living room, he blinked as he took in the state of his walls. He had been about to reach for his firearm when suddenly he was tackled and he found himself meeting the floor.

"Nnng!" Where in the world had the other come from?! Tsukasa struggled to turn himself over while under the intruder's weight, and while also trying to angle away the holster at his hip. The last thing he needed was to have his own gun drawn on him.

"Who are you...?! Wahahaha... Wait! Don't say it...!!" Leo furrowed his brow as in deep concentration.

"Who am I? Shouldn't I be asking you that?! How did you get in here!" Tsukasa hoped one of his neighbors would hear him and contact the police, though he wasn't keeping his hopes up. Most of the people in the building liked to keep to themselves, for better or worse.

But, if this person was asking who he was, did that mean he didn't break into his apartment specifically because of the Suou name? Was this truly random?

"That mop of red... Oh! You're riding hood, yes? Does that make me grandma or the big bad wolf...? ☆"

"I-I am not riding hood!" Tsukasa wasn't some fairy tale character that needed to be saved. He was a Knight, and he would prove it! He had managed to turn himself over while still under the other and had been about to tackle the intruder in turn, when what he saw gave him pause. A face he had just seen tonight in his newly acquired file was grinning down at him. Tsukasa blinked a few times before finally saying something.

"You... You are that previous _Leader_ of Knights, Leo Tsukinaga, yes...?" Was it really just luck (bad or good, he wasn't sure) that the subject of his latest case happened to more or less literally land right in his lap?

Leo tilted his head as if confused when the male below him mentioned him by name. "Am I? Wahaha! I don't really remember...! You see, sometimes you gotta empty some space to make room for all the incoming stuff... ☆" He wiggled his fingers as if to relate what he just said to a point before reaching down to tug at the sides of Tsukasa's face.

 _'What in the world is he blathering on about...?'_ He didn't know his own name? Tsukasa couldn't dwell on this fact for long though before he felt his cheeks being pulled.

"Squishy…" Leo then gasped sharply. "Maybe... I'm riding hood and you're the wolf in grandma's skin?! Grrrr...!!! Give back my nana...!"

"Wah- S-Stop that this instant!" Leo may have been (still is?) an officer as well, but this was assault against a cop right? He had grabbed the hands on his face, about to wrench them off when suddenly _Jesus Christ was he kissing him - no wait what the fuck was he doing._

Instead of shaking his 'answer' out of the poor and probably confused officer, Leo decided to slam his mouth against Tsukasa's and attempt to save his so-called 'nana' by way of exorcism rite. He inhaled against Tsukasa's mouth hard, in order to draw out as much air as possibly could, only to pull away several seconds later with a disappointed expression as if he had expected that to work. Oh well.

He rolled off Tsukasa until he was lying on his side like an oversized lethargic cat. "Neeeewbieeeeee." The word rolled off his tongue like a long annoying whine. "I lack nutrients... Feeeeed me... Glucose! Carbohydrates! Protein...! Any it doesn’t matter... Hurry before I dieeeee!" He wailed dramatically while remaining unmoving on the floor.

When Leo pulled away all Tsukasa could do was gasp for a moment, feeling breathless. Was Leo trying to suffocate him or something?! He laid on the floor in a daze for a moment as Leo rolled over and complained. How could this guy just... Kiss him suddenly then feel he had the right to make demands!

Tsukasa sat up slowly as he took in the figure on the ground. Somehow he seemed harmless enough. He was fairly small, just about as tall as Tsukasa himself, and didn't strike an imposing figure. But then again, he had broken into his apartment and assaulted him. The smart thing to do would be to call Izumi immediately after restraining Leo, but... He didn't seem like a threat at the moment.

"Don't you ever laugh as the hearse goes by... ♪" The orange-haired man sang to himself, oblivious to the other's current plight.

"Don't call me 'Newbie.' I have a fine name, I'll have you know: Tsukasa Suou," he stated as he moved to the kitchen. From his stress eating cabinet he grabbed a chocolate bar, before walking back over to the prone figure on the floor.

"I'll give you this, but first, please hand over any weapons you have." He was acting foolishly, he knew, but he had some semblance of a plan. He kept one hand on his gun as he asked, just in case Leo tried to use anything he had on him. 

It took Leo a while before he responded, as if he was hesitant to waste more of his energy resources on speaking. "You kinda look like a chick? Just hatched from an egg...!!! Newbie fits you Neeeewbieeeee. If I'm the star of this story then you're just an NPC~... ☆"

It was the job of NPCs to supply main characters with items in order to continue on though and this Tsukasa-person currently had, in his possession, a candy bar. Chocolate. Glucose... The energy he needed to refuel after that extraneous climb and wild flurry of inspiration that now decorated the other's living room.

"NPC...?" Tsukasa had no idea what that meant at all. But Leo didn't explain as he kept rambling on as if without a care in the world.

"Don't got any weapons 'cept my genius. I'm not giving you that! What, ya gonna try and probe me Newbie?!" Following his exclamation, Leo started mumbling nonsensical theories about alien technology and conspiracy theories - only to be interrupted by a loud growl from his stomach.  

It seemed like a fair enough trade. Though he really didn't have any physical weapons on him except that hammer he left in the bedroom. Not that Tsukasa would believe him, given how he had his hand on his firearm at the moment.

Leo needed Tsukasa to trust him. Enough to get him that chocolate bar anyway. That only left him with one solution.

With a few quick motions he stripped himself of his overly large blue jacket, throwing it to the side. Then proceeded with his shirt. Then proceeded with his pants - though he stopped mid-zip.

"... Can I keep my pants?"

"W... What in the world are you doing?!" First this guy kissed him, then he was stripping in his living room... Was the one who created Knights some kind of sexual deviant?!

"Yes, yes! For the love of God, keep your pants on!" Tsukasa all but threw the chocolate bar at Leo, face flushing bright red. Well, at least he didn't seem to be hiding any weapons. He sighed as he quickly walked to his bedroom to his safe, placing his gun inside before locking it. Even if Leo was an insane sexual deviant, he seemed to be something of a comrade to the Captain, so he figured it would be best to leave his gun out of this. But he really should call Izumi...

Leo only laughed obnoxiously when Tsukasa turned red and stormed out of the room, leaving the chocolate bar behind. Ever since he was a child, Leo had believed himself not to be God, despite his blessed genius, but to be loved by God without question. By that logic he didn't need to keep his pants on in order to continue being loved - so he stripped them off as soon as Tsukasa left the room.

Wandering around the living room in only his boxers and socks, he cheerfully munched on the the chocolate bar as he inspected his earlier work, singing to himself as he did so. "They eat your eyes, they eat your nose... ♪ They eat the jelly between your toes~~~♪" Every so often he would pause to inspect the random gibberish just a bit more closely, only to scoff a bit and move on.

When Tsukasa checked his pocket for his phone to call Izumi, he found it empty. "Shit, it's in my bag..." If he took it out around Leo, who knew what the other would do... He'd have to be discrete. As he was about to leave, he couldn't help but notice the chill in the air. Was the window open? He walked over to inspect it, when he realized...

"You came in through the window?!" Tsukasa all but yelled as he walked back to the living room. He had been under the impression Leo had picked his lock or something... "We're seven stories up! What possessed you to do that! No, how did you even manage to get up here? Speaking of," Tsukasa changed gears as he gestured around the living area. "What possessed you to do this too? ... More importantly, why my apartment? What do you want?"

It was a lot at once, but once he started the questions would not stop flowing. Tsukasa wanted answers.

Leo was only able to check a few transcriptions before Tsukasa returned and barraged him with a bazillion questions. Leo pursed his lips as if in thought for a moment, which would’ve made him look serious for once had it not been for his ridiculous appearance contributed to by his lack clothing, and the messy smudge of chocolate around his mouth. He probably looked as alluring and mysterious as a crazed hobo.

If Leo was a decent guy he’d just answer the questions without giving this poor officer more trouble but... He was Leo Tsukinaga, after all.

"I really like you...! I love you~ ☆"

Tsukasa had been so busy ranting that he hadn't noticed Leo's state of further undress. In fact, he really only noticed when Leo completely disregarded all his questions altogether in favor of uttering more gibberish.

"Please don't say such nonsense? A-And why did you take off your pants?! I said keep them on! _Jesus Christ!_ "

To recap his past 10 minutes, he had been tackled (and kissed) by a strange man who broke into his apartment by climbing up the outside, who had written all over his walls before stripping down to his underwear, and was now saying he loved him. That was bizarre enough, but Tsukasa was supposed to believe this same man was the one who founded the Knights division? He had to be wrong, maybe this man just looked like Leo Tsukinaga... A near perfect doppelgänger.

If it hadn't been for the bruises he could already feel forming from the tackle he would have been certain this was a dream.

"Honestly..." Tsukasa muttered as he headed back to the entryway for his bag. He pocketed his phone before grabbing the file out of the bag, walking back over to Leo. He'd start with the basics.

"This is you, right?" Tsukasa asked as he pointed to the photo included in the file.

He was really not following proper procedure at all, he should just handcuff Leo now and let someone on duty take him in, but... Perhaps him being a fellow cop was putting him at ease. A slightly insane cop who probably never should have been one in the first place, but a fellow cop nonetheless.

"You're weird. One grade-A weeeeirdo Newbie..." Leo gestured at Tsukasa as if to prove his point and ignoring the photo shown to him. Instead he skipped (yes, _skipped_ as a grown man should) over to a couch and threw himself over it, burying his face in a pillow that had been decorated by yours truly just hours before.

Tsukasa could feel his eyebrow twitch. _He_ was weird? _'Talk about the pot calling the kettle black...'_

"... And kinda boring for a copper," Leo added a few seconds later. "You're not gonna arrest me for breaking in? Not gonna take advantage of this super hot, handsome, mysterious fella that just waltzed into your life~. Wahahaha! Learn to live a little...!!! ☆"

Tsukasa really should have just arrested Leo on sight as he was regretting every word coming out of his mouth more and more (he chose to ignore that 'take advantage' part because _Jesus Christ_ this guy probably really was some kind of pervert).

"Oh yeah." Despite his crazed antics Leo wasn't exactly stupid. He may have been a self-declared genius but he had the ability to back up the fact. He had noticed the slight bulge in the other male's pocket that hadn't been there just moments ago. "If I see you reach for your pockety gizmo, I'll jump out the window~."

Tsukasa felt his blood run cold. He wouldn't really, would he...? As Leo continued, though, he realized he had been giving this... _Ingrate_ way too much credit.

Leo sat up with a stupid grin while he kept his gaze on the officer. "Wouldn't reflect well on a newbie cop's rep to have your important gig end up with a fatality right~? I can see the front headline now... 'Rookie Cop gets frustrated and pushes handsome man out of seven story window'...☆"

"Y-You...!" Fists shaking with rage and embarrassment, Tsukasa flung the file to the ground before pointing to the ginger on his couch. "How dare you?! I was trying to do this as a courtesy to you and to Captain Sena! You would seriously do that to a fellow officer, to a fellow member of Knights?! Does Knights mean nothing to you? Your comrades, the ideals of Knights are meaningless to you?!"

At the end of his little tirade, he felt himself panting. It wasn't like him to lose his cool like this, especially to someone who (the case could be made) was his superior. But... He was just so... _Frustrating!_

Forcing himself to calm down a little, he continued in a much softer tone. "... Why did you leave? What have you been doing? ... Why are you here now? Please tell me."

"I'm not who you think I am... Wahaha! Maybe you're just being over eager in trying to find this guy?!" Leo shrugged nonchalantly as he hopped off the couch and back over to his pile of discarded clothes. He began to put them back on though he kept the front of his jacket open, probably due to laziness.

"I bet he got abducted by aliens...!!!" He grinned and made an odd gesture at Tsukasa, pursing his lips and striking a pose by making both hands flashing a peace sign. "Uchuu~☆ Hey Newbie, maybeeeee if you and I call the aliens like this we can find what you’re looking for?"

He made his way back over to Tsukasa so he was standing only a short distance from him. "You're super weird. I'm supposed to be a criminal you know, what's the point in asking these things? Arrest me already...!! Ah... But wait... I kinda don't want that, jail's boring and geniuses aren't meant to be caged...!!! You can try to cage a lion but don't expect to keep both hands... Wahahaha!!! ☆"

He then narrowed his eyes, a serious expression overtaking his features at he gave Tsukasa a hard, stern stare.

"What does a cop stand for? Justice? Upholding the law? Give me an interesting answer Newbie or this will be our first and final goodbye...☆"


	2. Chapter 2

It was true that Tsukasa had indeed been eager to start this assignment, but not even in his wildest dreams did he think he would succeed so quickly. This wasn't him rushing, this was him being unable to deny that the man in the photo and the man in front of him were one and the same.  
  
At least he was putting his pants back on.  
  
"Aliens are not real and I refuse to do... Whatever that just was." As Leo approached Tsukasa, he straightened himself, slightly disheartened that his earlier assumption was correct, and they seemed to be the same height. And that laugh was already getting to him. Tsukasa liked to believe that he was a composed gentleman, but something about this man in front of him was constantly testing his patience.  
  
He couldn't help but be taken aback by the serious look that crossed Leo's face, however. That was new. He really needed to remind himself that despite this man being the so called 'King' of Knights, he didn't know him at all, or what he was capable of.  
  
"... I really do not see where you get off, breaking into my apartment and demanding things from me..." But, his assignment was to find Leo, and if he was serious about this possibly being their 'final goodbye'... He couldn't let him go now.

"But if I must... Justice and the law are important of course, without them our society would be in shambles, but... I think we should stand for people, first and foremost. Our obligation is to protect them and make this a world that is safe and enjoyable for everyone to live in. That goes hand in hand with the law, though, in most cases…"  
  
He placed his hands on his hips as he glared at Leo. "Are you satisfied?" He was trying to subtly create a bigger obstacle between the other and the door, so he couldn't make a quick getaway if he wasn't. And if Leo went for the windows instead, they were shut and locked so that would give him a small time frame to tackle the other if needed.

"Hmm...... Hmmmmmmmm..." It wasn't clear if Leo was mulling over Tsukasa's answer or simply making noise for the sake of making noise. He circled the room a bit, not even looking at Tsukasa, tapping a finger to his chin while reciting bits and pieces of Tsukasa's answer. Words such as 'obligation,' 'people,' and 'important' came up more frequently than others.

"Spoken like... A true Newbie...!!! Wahahaha~!"  He spun around in a dramatic fashion, a marker (probably pulled from his jacket pocket) pointed in the officer's direction.

"You're still green! Like the Appalachian hills...! Like moss by a noisy stream...!! Like... Like... A traffic light flickering brightly for people to go go go... Aah... I like you... I love you. ☆"

He bounced up to Tsukasa to stand obnoxiously close - he was never one to respect another's personal space. "Riddle me this, Newbie. If you had to choose between protecting someone or breaking the law... Throwing away your pride, what would you choose~?" He grinned and pulled back a bit, only to tap the capped marker to the tip of the boy's nose.

"Tell me, what type of _judgment_ you would cast upon those forced to choose~? ☆"

Leo didn't really give time for Tsukasa to answer as he decided that he was still in need of something to eat and dove past him like an obnoxious slippery five-year old who refused to take a nap in a half-run, half tumble toward the kitchen.

"..." Tsukasa felt beyond exasperated with the way the other spouted so much nonsense he couldn't get a single word in. He debated just tackling the other and calling the Captain, but with how quickly he made his way past Tsukasa into the kitchen, he was nervous he'd make good on his promise to jump.  
  
He had really messed up, hadn't he.

"First of all," Tsukasa started as he made his way to follow the other to the kitchen. "Stop calling me newbie! My name is Tsukasa Suou! Second, stop saying that you lo-... Like me and things of that sort!"

"Lesse…" Leo began to rummage through the cabinet, tossing out items one by one behind him while counting off in different languages - well, he swapped between maybe four or five. When he got bored of counting (which was about ten seconds in), he decided to sing loudly instead. "In the jungleee the quiiiet jungle the liiiiiiiiiiion sleeps tonight... ♪" He paused for dramatic effect.

"A-weema-weeeeh, a-weema-weh, a-weeeeeema-weh, a-weema-weeeeh...!! ♪"

As Tsukasa stepped into the kitchen, he felt his shoulders sag at the horrible mess the other was making. How in the world did this man create an elite unit of police and have people follow him...?

"... Are you going to keep singing or do you want an answer?"  
  
Even though he said that, he really wasn't sure what he would do. Justice was important to him, and what kind of cop would he be if he didn't follow the law? But if the law was stopping him from protecting someone right in front of his eyes...  
  
"... I'd like to hear the whole story before I 'cast judgment,' no matter how odd or foolish. So... Could you let me listen to your story... Leader?"

After downing a few bars of chocolate at record speed, Leo patted his stomach, satisfied and feeling re-energized. With a hasty wipe of his sleeve to clean his mouth of the remaining chocolate, he turned to Tsukasa with a tilt of his head.

"...... Why are you mad...?"

Dear Lord, Tsukasa was going to develop an eye tick at this rate. "I am _mad_ because you won't answer my questions, or refer to me by my name!" Was that really so hard to figure out?

Leo tugged at the long strands gathered at the side of his nape, an almost sheepish expression on his face as he chewed the bottom of his lip as if debating on what to do and what to say. His expression flickered through various emotions: confusion, hesitation... Sorrow.

"Hm... It's not an interesting story, though. Just a stupid story of a stupid guy..." Leo grinned a bit, through it was a bit more forced.

Leo's expressions gave Tsukasa pause. Those were new, too. And somehow they made his chest ache the tiniest bit. He had been about to say that he didn't care if it was interesting or not, he wanted to hear it, when suddenly Leo was back to his usual obnoxious self.

"Besides! I don't exactly trust you yet, Newbie!" He stuck his tongue out in a toddler-esque fashion. "I don't exactly go about sharing life stories with a stranger~. Not that it's _my_ story to tell... I'm just passing the tale along... A bard reciting whispered adventures of old... Of green sleeves and minuets~~. ☆"

"What will you do with me? Aren't you an officer of the law?! The second act is obvious isn't it...? On this stage of light and shadow, light always prevails! Heh. But who controls those stage lights, I wonder..." He hopped onto the closest chair, gesturing wildly. "Hurry, Newbie! It's your line... Or did you forget the script...?! They'll pull you off-stage and never let you speak again...!!! Wahaha!! A divine comedy... Turned into tragedy. ☆"

"Oh, my God, do you ever just stop?" Tsukasa took the chair opposite Leo, putting his head into his hands for a moment. He briefly pondered where in his life he had gone wrong, before sighing and sitting up straight once again.  
  
"If you will not tell me... Then why not tell Captain Sena why you left? He is not a stranger, yes?"

Tsukasa paused before continuing, feeling like he was sharing way too much, but also feeling compelled to do so. Somehow, he was getting swept up by the eccentric man in front of him.

"The Captain only ever said to find you, not arrest you... I have technically found you, I suppose...?" He'd be willing to overlook him breaking in and more or less assaulting him (and the more or less sexual harassment), and the murder of his poor, poor sweets, if Leo would just cooperate with him.

Leo laughed, expression returning to that cheerful (if not slightly insane) man that had scaled seven stories and broken into some random bedroom. _"L_ _ex talionis_ my dear Suo~. As someone blessed by God, I'll follow his law... An eye for an eye! Give me something of great value...! Something worthy of my life’s story...! Worthy of my darkest secrets...! If not I'll cast your offering aside like yesterday's garbage... ☆"  
  
Raising a hand to his chin, Tsukasa tilted his head as he tried to come up with something valuable to tell, when it hit him what Leo had just said.  _'He called me Suou...'_ Was that proof that at least some of what Tsukasa was saying was getting through to him? He couldn't let this chance go by, then.  
  
But even as he thought that, he was having trouble coming up with anything of 'great value.' If Leo wanted money, all he had to do was rob him and leave before he came home, instead of writing on his walls for God knows how long. And though he had been about to tell Leo he wanted his story even if it wasn't interesting, Tsukasa didn't find his own life story interesting, either. If whatever he offered up was cast aside, did that mean Leo would threaten to leave again?  
  
"... Let us make this more fair. Gentleman should always use an even playing field, right? I told you want I wanted, why not tell me what you would consider to be 'of great value?' I will do my best to provide."

"Wahaha!!! To let the villain make his demands... What are you some kind of cocky brat?! Grrr... Don't look down on me!!!" Leo growled as he rocked his chair back and forth threateningly a few times before stopping.

... Did Tsukasa really give off a brat vibe? The Captain called him a shitty brat, he'd been called a spoiled brat before, and now even Leo, who he'd been talking to for not much more than an hour, was calling him a cocky brat...

"... You're pretty interesting though... ☆" Leo flashed a toothy grin. "When I first saw you, I thought you looked so weak... But when push comes to shove, you can stand your own ground, huh...? I can see why Sena choose you~. ♪"

He then fell silent, perhaps as a belated reaction to saying his old comrade's name. "...... He knows. He doesn't know but really he knows." Leo nods a bit as if his words made perfect sense. "That's why he sent you."

 _'He knows...?'_ If Izumi really knew the reason why Leo left, he would have informed Tsukasa. Izumi might like to tease, but he wouldn't leave him without vital information for a case... Right?

Leo pressed his cheek to the back of the chair. "If a rabbit spends its entire life spoiled and perfectly content in a cage... Will it ever realize it was a prisoner~? Aaaaah I wonder... Beethoven! Would you fly?! ... Vivaldi! Is there a future beyond those iron bars...?! Bach! A guiding melody... ♪ ...Mozart! ...Grrr!! I don't like you, you piece of shit...!!"

Without warning he threw his hands forward to clamp them to the sides of Tsukasa's face, keeping it steady as he brought his own face closer. "What do they say... All's fair in love and war...? If that's so then is this love...?!? Or is it war...?!"

"Uwa-?!" Tsukasa had been about to ask what Mozart had ever done to Leo when his face was suddenly squished between Leo's hands. He had to admit, even if Leo didn't seem to have the mental capacity to be an officer, he certainly had the speed for one.

"... Don't answer!" Leo shoved Tsukasa's face away and scooted his chair a few paces backward. "...You leave that sort of reveal for the climax of the story...!!! Otherwise it's just a poor man's story... Heh, a novice... I'm a harsh critic you know...~ ☆"

Tsukasa scowled, about to tell Leo off when suddenly he was shoved back. _"Jesus Christ..."_  He raised his hands to his face, rubbing his cheeks. "It is definitely not love, that's for sure," he muttered as Leo began to write on his things _again._

With his marker from earlier Leo started scribbling along the top of the chair, the jumbled letters and numbers following a similar composition to the other writings he had left in the living room. After a few minutes of ignoring everything around him, he finally spoke up.

"Your word. Give me that - you who puts great value in things such as names and answers...☆ Make me a promise that I can't refuse...!! Promise me no matter what... Until our story's end, until we've reached the answer you seek... You won't speak with or return to Sena House~."

When Leo finally gave an answer, Tsukasa couldn't deny he was a little surprised. He hadn't expected anything out of him. But even then... He still had trouble with it.  
  
"Sena... House? I have never been to the Captain's house before…" He tilted his head. "... Do you mean the station?"

He had to promise not to contact Izumi or to go to the station... That wasn't good. If he didn't go to work and dropped all contact, wouldn't he be doing the same thing Leo had? And after he promised Izumi he would be there specifically to hear about the case...  
  
Tsukasa wasn't sure what to do, feeling stuck between a rock and a hard place. If he let Leo leave now, he'd probably never find him again, disappointing Izumi and his peers in Knights. Even worse, he might have to tell them he found Leo and let him get away. Izumi would probably give him the boot right then and there.  
  
Not that not going to work was a much better answer, either. In the end of all of this, he'd still probably get fired. Everything Tsukasa had worked towards for years, that he had finally just achieved, would be taken from him. And yet... As he stared at the man in front of him, he recalled that look of profound sadness... _'If I c_ _annot even help the people right in front of me…'_  
  
"... If I just drop all contact completely, the Captain might try to find me, you know. And if I am with you, he will find you as well. But if that is truly what you want, then I, Tsukasa Suou, shall give you my word that I won't contact the Captain, or return to the station."

Upon hearing Tsukasa's promise (even with the warning tacked on to the beginning) Leo's eyes lit up like a burst of fire intent on being more than a dying flame. He grinned widely before throwing his head back, echoing sounds of hearty laughter.

"You're really something, Suo~! Wahahaha!!! Ah... This may be love after all...?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lex talionis- the latin phrase for an eye for an eye


	3. Chapter 3

"No, like I said before, it is _definitely_ not love," Tsukasa continued to protest.

A bit shaky from giddy excitement, Leo took both of Tsukasa's hands and gave them a good shake - up and down and back and forth. Then all over the place until he decided to drag them over back to the living room in an impromptu jig. Leo just looked so happy that Tsukasa couldn't help but let himself get dragged along with his... Dance, if it could be called that.

If Tsukasa gave his word then that was that. Leo knew Izumi wouldn't try and contact Tsukasa if he was already given the case because, he'd know. They'd known each other for a long time, and though he didn't like acknowledging it at times, it was for certain Izumi stopped trying a long time ago.

"Sena won't try to find me, cause he knows you would be able to~.☆" 

Leo only relented his grip on the other to deposit Tsukasa onto the couch, while Leo himself took to coffee table-turned stage. Tsukasa wasn't necessarily fragile, but Leo certainly didn't seem to mind being rough with him. Did he have no manners?

After nearly falling off the table immediately after getting on due to slippery socks and a misstep, Leo took a moment to compose himself - and pretend that nothing happened. He took a grandiose bow and winked at Tsukasa.

"... Be careful," Tsukasa muttered as other almost slipped. Honestly, what would he do if after all this he busted his head open on the floor and had to be brought to the hospital? All this cryptic talk and their promises would be for nothing.

"This humble ("but still super awesomeeee," he added in a loud whisper) bard shall now present to you a special tale...!!! A secret tale... Its only audience made up of only one~. A single rook...ie~.☆ What will he do upon hearing this tale, I wonder~? Is it fair to rest it upon his shoulders...?  Wahaha! A king doesn't have to be fair if he’s a tyrant...♪ ... A murderer of fantasies?!"

Grabbing a nearby pillow, Leo held it dramatically upward. "Alas poor Yorick... I knew him...!! Tell me, if all murder is murder most foul...?! An eye for an eye... But is it not unfair for Odysseus to repay the cyclops with only one eye?!"  

Tsukasa couldn't help but snort as Leo began his 'special tale.' He certainly seemed one for theatrics. And literary references. Leo seemed well learned. but also just so incredibly odd; it was hard to get a read on him from one minute to the next.

Without warning Leo threw the pillow in Tsukasa’s direction while laughing to himself. "Godspeed...!"

"Ah-!" He barely managed to catch the pillow before it hit him in the face. Lowering it, he offered up a glare. "Please stop trying to assault me in my own apartment. And please don't worry about if it is 'fair' to tell me. I'm not a child; no matter what kind of story it is, I promise I will be able to handle it."

"Humm... Think of it as extra practice Suo~ Your reflexes are too slow!!!" He stroked his own chin thoughtfully. "Or maybe I'm just too good? Wahaha! I'm so great that even the cosmos is sometimes jealous of my splendor...☆."

"Hah?!" Tsukasa took offense to that, thank you very much! Granted, his reaction times were certainly not up to par with some of the other members of Knights, but he wasn't too slow! The nerve.

Leo paused, if only to catch his breath before he began again with a grin. "Let me tell you the tale of Robin Hood...!! ...... And his not so merry men~.♪”

Settling the pillow in his lap (and silently lamenting the marks now covering it), Tsukasa found himself subconsciously leaning in closer to Leo. "Robin Hood...?"

Leo blinked as if confused. "Eh... What was I talking about again? Wait! Don't tell me!!! I’ll remember it soon...just gimme a minute... Some seconds...!?!” He clutched his head and began reciting thoughts that passed through. "Shitty Mozart... Beatrice?! Sena House... Slithy toves?! Chocolate to eat...!! Eat... Oh... Tweet! A tweeter... Bird... Robin... Robin Hood!!! Yes, that was it... Wahaha!!! I almost forgot... ☆"

All Tsukasa could do was give Leo an unimpressed look as he worked his way back to the topic on hand. How fitting that he make reference to a poem made of nothing but nonsense. It fit Leo's gibberish, that was for sure.

"Tonight I become a murderer of fantasy. Poor youth..." 

'Poor youth'... Did Leo mean Tsukasa? Clutching his pillow just the teeniest bit tighter, Tsukasa tried to school his expression into a neutral one. No matter what Leo told him, he should be ready to listen.

Leo didn't have much to work with, so he just pulled out a few more markers, each a different color and all-together they made a rainbow. "Robin Hood... Hmm... Did you know?” He lowered his tone to a whisper. "...That the man they called Robin Hood was originally a soldier! A knight with sword and shield... It would only be later that he take up a bow and arrow~.☆"

He connected a few of the markers together and swung it like a blade. "As a soldier he protected many, did lots of good, right? Heh. Goodness can be twisted though...! A soldier is nothing more than a tool... And goodness determined by the powerful that control them...!!!" 

He cackled like a cartoonish villain and snapped the markers back into their individual pieces. "Robin Hood realized this you see... And started to do _bad_. Bad things... But people were saved because of his misdeeds... So Robin Hood continued, because to him, bad and good didn’t matter as long as people were protected and helped...☆" 

"He gained quite a following! A band of merry men, dressed in luxurious wools... Only he didn't realize they were sheep of the enemies he'd made~. And so begins act two of our tale... Feel free to cry before it begins... ☆"

... Of course Leo couldn't just tell it to him straight. Sighing a bit, Tsukasa leaned back onto the couch. "I'm not going to cry, please don't make fun of me."  
  
He stood up, heading to the kitchen for a moment. So Leo was obviously supposed to be Robin Hood in that story. Originally a 'Knight,' but now a criminal. _'Goodness can be twisted, huh...'_ He grabbed a glass from a cabinet, and filled it with water.

Goodness determined by the powerful... So, politicians? People with money? Or someone within the police department itself... _'Gahh, why does he have to be so vague?!'_ Sighing again, he turned off the tap, slowly making his way back to the living room.  
  
_'Bad and good didn't matter as long as it helped people.'_  Tsukasa felt a small knot form in his stomach, and couldn't help but see the resemblance between that and the answer he had given Leo about what they should stand for as police officers. He hadn't gone so far as to say he would do something 'bad' to help someone, but he had said they should stand for people. Leo had thought the same?  
  
"Here," he said as he pressed the glass into Leo's hand. If Leo was going to put on a show, he should drink something so he didn't lose his voice later.

"So you-... Robin Hood's allies were really the followers of his enemies?" If Leo didn't want to outright name himself and wanted to keep saying Robin Hood, he'd play along. For now.

Leo probably shouldn’t have looked as confused as he did when he was presented with the glass of water. He tilted his head and held it at half an arm's length away while giving Tsukasa a questioning look. "What’s this?! Such a paltry offering for a king...?!"

Leo didn't give Tsukasa a chance to answer, preferring to make up a story of ridiculous, illogical fantasy. "Oh...!" He gripped the glass just a bit more firmly then held it further from himself; the rather abrupt action made a bit of the liquid splash out. "Are you not mine brother, Claudius?!" Leo snickered a bit and sloshed the remaining liquid back and forth while spilling even more of it to the floor. "I will, _my lord_ ~. I pray you, pardon me...☆"

Instead of drinking like a normal person with a gradual sip, for whatever reason Leo decided to try and fit all the remaining liquid in his mouth at once - which would've been fine if he just gulped it down immediately. However, he gave pause, amused at his sudden blowfish-like expression, which in turn made him burst into a round of laughter, spraying liquid everywhere. 

Also some choking and hacking because of some water managing to go down the wrong way.

"Paltry... I did not have to give you anything, you know?!" But of course Tsukasa’s kindness was rejected as Leo ended up spitting the water everywhere instead of just drinking it like a normal human being. (And he certainly did not find Leo's puffed up cheeks funny or slightly endearing at all. Not even a bit. Of course not.)

"Oh, my _God_. See if I ever try to do anything nice for you again. I am around ninety percent sure you are trying to make a mess of my apartment on purpose now." He took the glass back from Leo (he didn't want to clean up any more broken glass today, he already was going to have to take care of his window later), setting it on the floor next to the couch.

 _He_ was the one who was going to need water soon so he could take some aspirin; he could feel the beginning of a nasty headache coming on. Rubbing his temples, Tsukasa sat back down on the couch. Putting his elbows on his knees, Tsukasa rested his chin in his hands as he waited for Leo to continue his story.

"Wahahaha! ...What's the other ten percent? Suooooo~~~ You shouldn't fill your head so much with the useless stuff! Humans are so great, though they tend to get tied down by numbers and obligations and other unnecessary stuff!!!" He cleared his throat a few times to rid of the itch that still lingered there because of the water.

"What if something meaningful comes along and there's no space!? We're humans, after all, we've been born into this world... To fulfill some destiny~. It'd be sad if you just cast them aside... Heh. ☆"

Unnecessary stuff... Tsukasa sighed softly as Leo continued his rant. It seemed like it would be easier to remain silent, than to try and get a word in when he was like this.

Leo plopped down into a sitting position with his legs crossed and leaning slightly forward - it wasn't to give himself an extra centimeter of height compared to sitting flat. Not at all.

"Do you still want to hear about Robin Hood? It's not very interesting... The remainder of this tale that is...! I'll still tell it anyway, because I'm a selfish king... Wahaha!"

"Something is rotten in the state of Yumenosaki~♪" Leo declared almost gleefully. "Though they were sheep, they might as well have been wolves dressed in skins ripped from the backs of innocent lambs~.☆"

He picked up a pair of the dropped markers, keeping one in each hand. "Robin Hood continued his adventures with his not so merry men for a while - he kept it a secret from his fellow knights, of course!! There wasn't a need to involve them... But he did manipulate them... Doing things behind their backs to benefit future operations of his not so merry men. It was for the better he thought...!! Because unlike his comrades, they weren't limited by things such as 'laws' and 'accountability'...!!!" He crossed the two markers into an 'x' shape and held it over his heart.

"I made an irreparable mistake, I finally realized that. It was late, too late... The things -  _terrible things_ Robin Hood did, advised by his council of not so merry men..." He laughed, though it was awkward and forced.  

"I had the false impression that I could do anything, that I knew everything... A selfish king... A stupid king, who let power get to his head - Isn't that a flaw of most royals?! A king is merely a face... A puppet that reflects his people." He hung his head low, too shamed to look at Tsukasa directly. "In the end he compromised his real comrades... Kept them in the dark so they wouldn't have to be held accountable for his actions." 

"In the end he had lost everything... And irresponsibly ran away. A pitiful and embarrassing king - no, a _pawn_... That knew he shouldn't... Couldn't return. Because he was scared... Not of being punished, but of the unwavering loyalty of knights. If they decided to side with him... To share blame of their selfish king's misdeeds... To be served by knights, to have their devotion and loyalty... I don't deserve any of that."

Tsukasa took in Leo's story, drank in every single word, trying to understand as much as he could. Leo's 'irreparable mistake'... Tsukasa couldn't help but wonder what it was. When the man in front of him looked down, Tsukasa had to resist the urge to tell him to raise his head.  
  
Leo ran away... Because of Knights? ... Honestly, Leo was a troublesome guy. But... Tsukasa couldn't find it in himself to hate him.  
  
"Leader..." He couldn't hold it in any longer. "Please raise your head." He reached a hand out, tilting Leo's chin back up to make eye contact. "It is presumptuous of me to say I know Leader at all, and for me to scold you. But I want to get to know Leader more. You made a mistake... 'To err is human.' And you just said it yourself; 'we're humans, after all.' Even if you call this mistake irreparable... Is it not better to at least try to fix it, instead of running away?" He paused a moment to muse over his words, before continuing.  
  
"I... I have only met Leader today, so I have no right to say this at all. But please accept my criticisms for a moment. Leader is a very strange, nonsensical, rowdy, vulgar, and irritating person, who seemingly cannot just come out and say anything! But... You are the King of Knights. You may not think you deserve Knight's loyalty, but everyone there... They are not the type of people to give their loyalty to someone who is undeserving. If they had chosen to stand by you, I am sure that it is because Leader was someone they deemed worthy to put their faith in.  
  
"I want to know Leader more, so I can understand; I want to understand so you won't want to run away anymore, so you will come back to your Knights...  
  
"So, please..." For once he was the one leaning in closer. He didn't want to give Leo any chance to look away, to focus on anything but him. "Let me help you. Let us fix this, side by side, all right...?"

"Aaaah Suooo is so harsh? Cruel even?! His words are like arrows...!!!" 

It was almost liberating. To have finally gotten to tell his (admittedly somewhat vague) story. Yet, Leo had spent so long running away that to having to acknowledge it... Having to face reality once more, to be _reminded_ of how utterly terrible and cruel he had been... 

Reality was not so forgiving. At least to those who still held themselves to certain values. To those who still clung to the idea and frailty of being human.

Leo wanted to cry. 

... But as much as he wanted to, he refused to break down in front of Tsukasa. He was stubborn, and still held onto remnants of his pride. A king in the end was nothing more than a symbol. Even if battered, torn, and broken into pieces, he should still play the part. It was a responsibility of the old to not discourage the young.

"... You can't." His lips quirked into a hint of a sad smile. Leo refused to have someone else pay for his sins, that's why he ran. And perhaps that's why he'll continue to run after today. And the day after. And the many days after that.

"... Cause. You know you can't help fairy tale characters Newbie~!!! Wahahaa... Get your head out of the clouds...!! This world of make-believe... Are you a chuuni?! The tale of Robin Hood only exists in a silly bard's words...!!" He hopped off the table and ran for the door.

Perhaps venturing back into the light was a mistake. He had craved for the warmth of the sun again. Just for a moment. Perhaps coming here was a mistake. Perhaps meeting Tsukasa was a mistake...

"Now cracks a noble heart~. Good night sweet prince...☆" 

Maybe he had been a little too hard on Leo, but Tsukasa had just said what he truly thought, so he would stick by it. He was about to ask if Leo truly thought him that stupid, that he didn't know the 'Robin Hood' of his story was him, when suddenly he was off the table and running. Tsukasa bolted to his feet as well, cursing under his breath.  
  
"P-Please wait!" He knew. He just knew if he let Leo get out that door, he'd never see him again.  
  
Leo was fast, as he had proven earlier in the evening. But desperation was fueling Tsukasa as he gave chase, heart threatening to beat out of his chest the closer they got to the door. He was a few steps behind when Leo's hand landed on the doorknob. Reaching out, grasping for something, anything, his fingers met with Leo's large blue hood. Tsukasa took hold, and pulled with all the strength he could muster.

"Ack...!!!"

They both tumbled to the floor, Tsukasa wincing as he landed on the arm he had pulled Leo with awkwardly. But he couldn't dwell on that now. He sat up, turning to his side to pin Leo to the floor by his upper arms.

Well, that certainly was not what Leo expected. Tsukasa had guts... He'll admit he didn't expect to be able to run off without some sort of chase or protest, but to be yanked by the hood of his jacket...

" _Stupid!_ " That was all Tsukasa could manage to get out as he caught his breath.

Leo slowly blinked as he tried to regain his senses, dizzy at all the unexpected movement and the eventual tumble to the floor. He wheezed slightly at the lingering ache around his throat due to the earlier construction of fabric but made no to attempt to rub at it - not that he could given their current position.  

"... We made a promise... Did you not say so yourself? Until I received the answers I wanted. Until _our_ story's end. Is that it? You are going to end it like this? Talk about a 'poor man's story.' Well, I'll tell you, Leo Tsukinaga... I do not have all the answers I want. So, you are stuck with me. No more running away. I will make you keep your promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leo makes a few literary references this chapter, some examples are: Hamlet, Macbeth, and the Odyssey.
> 
> The poem about nonsense Tsukasa mentions Leo referencing is the Jabberwocky, from Alice in Wonderland- slithy toves is a line from the poem.


	4. Chapter 4

Leo kept his head turned as Tsukasa spilled desperate words of promises and answers and something about it being 'their' story. But his words didn't fall on deaf ears, he simply felt too ashamed to look at the other directly after another humiliating defeat just now.

Tsukasa meant well, Leo knew that, but in the end he shouldn't have to risk everything on him. But he seemed almost as stubborn as Leo was, which he would've appreciated more if it wasn't against him.

He glanced up at the boy above him. It was funny how this poor officer had suffered everything from being mocked, to having his property vandalized, to being assaulted, and yet he was now asking - no, _forcing_  him to stay.

Leo grinned. 

"... That's one hell of a marriage proposal, Newbie~! A little unorthodox and not at all romantic but... I'll accept~!!! Until you get tired of me, that is... ☆" 

Leo hadn't been looking at him through any of his speech, so Tsukasa was praying that his words were getting through to the man underneath him. When Leo finally turned to him and met his gaze, Tsukasa made sure to hold it steady, to show that he was serious and wasn't going to back down.  
  
... Or at least, until Leo finally spoke up.

"Wha-?!" Tsukasa recoiled as if he had been burned, face flushing crimson. "T-That was not a proposal! Please do not decide these things on your own! And why would you accept it anyway?!" He almost felt himself regretting this. Tsukasa had his chance to let the whirlwind known as Leo Tsukinaga walk out of his life forever. The captain would probably eventually just tell him to quit searching if he never let him know about their meeting. But... A grin really fit Leo better than that sad, forlorn smile he had been wearing moments prior.

Leo puffed his cheeks in what could only be considered a pout while muttering, "Who's the one deciding things on their own..."

Tsukasa still had so much he wanted to ask Leo: the so-called irreparable mistake, the identities of people mentioned in his story, what it would take to convince him to come back... But it was late. He was exhausted, physically and mentally. He didn't think he could handle any more of Leo's storytelling for the night.  
  
Tsukasa sighed (something he had done a lot of tonight), standing up slowly. He rubbed at his elbow with a slight wince, before offering his uninjured hand to Leo.  
  
"... Do you promise not to leave...?”

At Tsukasa's offered hand Leo paused, choosing for the moment to remain on the floor while staring at the extended hand with a wide-eyed sense of wonderment... Curiosity? Bewilderment?

"What a strange day... Today, that is...!!! A promised day... A day full of promises... Of promise?! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!? Heh..." He took Tsukasa's hand and pulled himself up with a slight bounce of a step.

"You're still a bit green... Not feeling well Suo~? No good!!! Three cloves aren't enough, you need four for better luck...☆" He didn't relent his hold on the officer's hand, instead choosing to swing it back and forth like they were children on a playground. "With a pocket full of posies...♪ Wahahaha!!! You know, if you didn't want me to run you can always just handcuff me, aren't ya a cop?!" 

"You really never stop, do you?" Tsukasa asked, his statement part incredulous, part impressed. After everything that had happened today, after recalling that story... How could Leo smile and bounce around seemingly without a care?  
  
Tsukasa had attempted to take his hand back, but for someone of his stature, Leo was surprisingly strong. And he did raise a good point. He could just handcuff him to something... As Leo ran off, he wondered why that thought had never really crossed his mind.

Finally letting go of Tsukasa's hand, Leo made his way back over to one of the living room chairs and fell face first onto it, burying his face into one of the (unfortunately drawn on) pillows. He stayed like that for a bit while screaming in a singsong tone 'ashes ashes we all fall dooooown~♪' before turning around so his voice wasn't muffled. "... Not that it'd work now. Not to brag... Well okay I'm bragging now buuuut… !!! I'm pretty good at escaping those. Had lots of practice - I'm like Houdini~!!! Only better... A genius ravioli wahahaha!!!"

... But maybe it had been for the best. If Tsukasa had handcuffed him, took his eyes off him for some reason and Leo escaped... He would be too ashamed to face his peers after something like that. "A genius ravioli..." He shook his head, deciding he should just ignore Leo's more nonsensical utterances.

Leo patted the spot next to him on the couch. “Suooo, Suooo, the night's still young! Mr. Sun's still asleep?! Let's be naughty rebellious kids and playyy! If you tire me out I definitely won't run away... ☆"

Raising an eyebrow, Tsukasa made his way back over to the couch. "You really aren't tired at all?" After all the things Leo had done just since Tsukasa had gotten home... He couldn't even imagine what kind of things he had done today before breaking in. How much energy did this guy have? Tsukasa was still quite exhausted... But he'd indulge Leo for a little while longer. Somehow, letting himself get swept up in Leo's pace wasn't entirely unpleasant.  
  
Tsukasa sat down on the couch gingerly, feeling slightly apprehensive, but less on guard than before. Hopefully Leo wasn't trying to trick him and was going to bolt again; he didn't think he could handle another chase. "What did you have in mind...?" 

"Tiredness is only a physical state...!!! A limitation set to the body... You _think_ therefore you are, right?!" Leo pressed a finger to each temple with a determined expression. "A genius like me doesn't get tired... The mind is always flowing with _inspiration_ ~. Wahahaha!! Non-stop like a choo-choo train that one boards as soon as they're born...! There's no rail nor crossing... No coal needed... !!! It'll keep going as long as you fill its hearth with precious melodies... ☆” 

When Tsukasa sat down, Leo immediately snuggled against his side like a cat seeking warmth from a heater. "Children are always waaaarm~ Unfair..." he whined despite them probably not having too many years between them. He wiggled his fingers a bit before pressing them to Tsukasa's clothes, seeking a pocket to warm them in.

"Wha- Please do not use me as a heater? And I am not a child! Please don't act like you are much older than I am." The little wiggle of Leo's fingers was all the warning he had before suddenly they were digging into his sides. Tsukasa gave an undignified yelp as he tried to lean away from the touch. Leo seemed like the type that if he knew someone was ticklish, he would never relent. 

"Suo~ Is so serious... Do you even know how to play any games?! Wahahaha! I bet there isn't a single game here, huh... So we gotta play something simple.” He pulled his hands away to assume a thinking pose. "Lesse, lesse..." 

As much as Tsukasa hated to admit it, Leo was right. Besides his chess board (which he wasn't going to let Leo touch, it was important to him and he didn't want to see it broken), Tsukasa didn't have anything that could really be considered a game.

Leo threw his legs over Tsukasa’s lap as if _he_ was the one trying to escape and not himself, while falling flat on his back in a sprawl that was, again, somewhat cat-like in nature. "Cops and Robbers?! Wahaha, how cliched would that be! Hmm... Are you feeling bloodthirsty Suo~?! A pillow fight where the victor must draw blood...!!!" Leo cackled childishly as he tossed the pillow he was using over in Tsukasa's direction.

... Leo was sure making himself cozy. Tsukasa resisted the urge to push the other off of his lap, and off the couch entirely. Unlike some people in the room, he did have manners, thank you.  
  
Perhaps because of his exhaustion, this time he was unable to catch the pillow, but thankfully it wasn't thrown at this head that time, so it just hit against his shoulder. More and more he was coming to the conclusion that Leo was actually just a five year old trapped in an adult's body.

"Or maybe a battle between the limitations of men?! Wahaha!!! Who can endure it longer... The ultimate game of sleepover parties... Truth or Dare~. ☆"

And then Tsukasa’s suspicions were confirmed. "Truth or dare? Really? Are we children?" Even though he said that, he had never actually played truth or dare as a kid... Or had a 'sleepover party,' if one could really call this that. Tsukasa took the pillow that had been tossed at him, placing it between Leo and the couch. Well, it was simple enough, they didn't require anything extra. And if it would keep Leo occupied...  
  
"Very well. ... Truth or dare?"

"WAIT!!!" Leo gestured wildly while still in his lying down position. "Before we play, gotta make sure you know the rules! Being a newbie and all... ☆ There's a penalty if you refuse...!!!"

Tsukasa couldn't help but jump as Leo shouted and began waving his arms. What was he going on about now? "Penalty?" Wasn't this supposed to be a simple kid's game?

Hopping off of the couch (and Tsukasa), Leo darted to the kitchen and after a few loud noises of rummaging through the cabinets, fridge - the clink of glassware, the sound of a cork being popped and liquid being poured, wrappers being torn...

As Leo ran off Tsukasa stiffened, but relaxed as he had headed for the kitchen instead of the door. But he wasn't relaxed for long, as the sounds radiating from there only filled him with dread. What was he doing...?

It wasn’t long before Leo came back from the kitchen. Tsukasa could feel his stomach curdle as Leo returned with a pitcher of... Something. "What is that. Dear God, what is that."

"If someone can't answer or do the requested task... They gotta drink a glass of this!!! Penalty... Penal... Tea! Though it's not actually tea, wahahaha!!!" Leo explained with a grin of someone who probably had a few loose screws.

Leo wanted him to drink that if he refused to comply with the action he chose?! Tsukasa was going to die.

"As you probably guessed, we go back and forth asking the other person truth or dare... There’s no restriction. Just you can't make questions multiple parts or the dare more than one task, okay?! Other than that... Ask or request your worst...☆" 

He placed the concoction on the coffee table. There were clearly chucks of chocolate floating to the top... "Since the King goes first I'll choose... Dare!!! Hit me with a good challenge, Suo~ 

"To one lost sheep, a shepherd boy is greater than the richest king...♪"

"U-Um..." Of course Leo picked dare. He didn't want to make Leo do anything strange, he had wanted more answers out of him...  
  
The officer was at a loss for what to do. Leo would probably do anything embarrassing Tsukasa could think of in a heartbeat, and with a chuckle. He had half a mind to tell Leo to finish the 'Penal Tea' by himself, but he didn't want Leo dead.

Tsukasa glanced around, trying to come up with something before he took too long. His eyes came to rest on the walls.

"... I dare you to not write on any more of my things unless it is paper."

"Already Suo~ is being cruel... ?! Are you Hammurabi?! Et tu Brute... Are you already out for blood!?" Leo exclaimed in exaggerated despair as he ran his fingers down his face in a comical manner. "To limit my genius to mere scraps of paper... Is like stopping the cosmos itself!!! Are you trying to kill a God?! Aaaaaaah!!! If the train can't stop and you place dynamite in its path... Heh... Heh... Wahahaha! Good good!!! Show no mercy to your enemy... After all, when your king reveals himself to be a dictator, your only choice is to rebel and usurp the throne... ☆" 

... Of course this dare would only last as long as the game was in effect. It wasn't too bad in theory, but who knew how long this game would last. And in a true five-year-old-mentality fashion, if banned from doing something... It just made it all more tempting to do. Leo's fingers itched for his markers.

However, he was determined to win the game - not that he established how exactly one was supposed to be declared a winner in this odd, vague game of truth-and-dare. "Here," Leo sighed loudly as he pulled the many markers from his pockets and tossed them in Tsukasa's direction, not really aiming for him but... If they hit him than it was the will of fate - would be Leo's excuse.

He wasn't throwing a mini tantrum at all.

"Well then, Suo~. Which path will you choose... Truth or dare~?" 

Tsukasa certainly hadn't expected that kind of reaction. He had expected Leo to call him lame and laugh. Not to lament his fate and ramble about his genius...

"What even do all those scribbles even mean? It looks like gibberish."

Picking Leo's markers up and placing them next to the glass from before, Tsukasa weighed his options. If Leo was really that upset about not being able to write, he'd probably be ruthless with him if he picked dare. He really only had one safe choice.

"Truth." Tsukasa was a little afraid of what Leo might ask of him, but he was much more afraid of what would await him if he chose dare. He did not want to drink that nauseating concoction on the table.

"Hey! You can't ask me things when it's  _my_ turn to demand something!!! Grrrr!!! Don't skip my turn Newbie!!! I'll get mad and go on a rampage...!!" Leo huffed in warning as he began to mull over what to ask Tsukasa. 

"..." Tsukasa rolled his eyes at Leo's antics. He wondered if he was allowed to dare Leo to tell him what the scribbles meant...

Of course Tsukasa would request truth... Leo had hoped he'd say dare though - those were easier to come up with than a question. He sat up while staring at redhead... What sort of question could he ask Tsukasa... That had a chance of making him pass and choose to drink the Penal Tea instead? 

"Hmm...... What sort of secret should Suo~ be asked to reveal...?" Leo stroked his chin thoughtfully.

The longer Leo stared at him, the more anxiety Tsukasa felt build up in his stomach. Oh God, this was going to be awful. And his suspicions were confirmed when Leo finally asked his question.

"Out of all Knights, if you had to in some weird freaky scenario, who would you choose to bang?" It was hard to keep his composure because he couldn't even imagine Tsukasa answering this question and if he did, it'd be amusing to him since he actually knew everyone in the selection pool.   

Tsukasa groaned as he dragged his hand down his face. Of course he would ask something like that. Tsukasa was now 98.5 percent sure Leo Tsukinaga was some kind of sexual deviant.  
  
He very much did not want to answer, but... As he stared at the pitcher in front of him, he could feel himself gag already. Embarrassment was temporary, death from a horrible combination of wine and meat and chocolate and who knows what else was forever.

"... If I had to- _Had_ to... Uuu..." Tsukasa hid his face in his hands, trying to conceal the color rising to his cheeks. "Probably the Captain..."  
  
One of the first things Tsukasa had noted when he joined Knights was that everyone was very attractive, so that wasn't really the deciding factor. If he was truthful, Ritsu seemed like the type to just kind of lay there and be overly teasing, while Arashi seemed like they would be _too_ involved. If they were doing this because they had to, he believed Izumi would be the type to try to get it over with as fast as possible, and then never speak of it again. Which is exactly what Tsukasa would want in that situation.  
  
Face still flushed, he turned to Leo with a small glare. "Truth or dare."

"Sena...?" Leo cocked his head to the side while wondering why Tsukasa would choose him other the others, though given their personalities and possible reactions to such a scenario... "Mm... Makes sense!!! Wahahaha... No need to get embarrassed, hypotheticals are fun, right?! And in your line of work it's good to think of how you'd react in even the most bizarro scenarios...!!! ”

"No, even if something bizarre happens, I don't think it would be anything like that..." In fact, the most bizarre thing Tsukasa could ever picture was probably him playing truth or dare in his apartment with the man he was supposed to find... Oh God, what was he doing.

Leo eyed the pitcher that remained undisturbed... How frustrating! He had underestimated Tsukasa. What an annoying miscalculation... Yet what a wonderful, exciting miscalculation.

"Gimme another dare! Something to tear my flesh from these weary bones...!! Don't be afraid to stain your hands red... Well, you're prettier than Lady Macbeth but some red will do this place some good...!! If the killing is good then I have no complaints... Just remember to put me in a big black box and cover it with dirt and rocks... ♪" 

Another dare... Wait, what was that other bit? "Don't call me that." Tsukasa sniffed in annoyance, turning his head away. It was... Strange. No one had ever really called him pretty before. Come to think of it, Leo had also called him interesting earlier... That was the first time someone had ever said that, as well. Tsukasa wasn't sure why, but that stirred up something in him that he wouldn't call unpleasant.  
  
"I..." But yet again, Tsukasa found himself struggling. What did people normally ask during these things?! "I dare you to... Explain why you broke in to my apartment...?" If Leo wasn't going to pick truth, maybe he could phrase things as a dare. And if Leo refused, then he'd be the one drinking the vile thing on the table. Tsukasa couldn't say he wasn't looking forward to Leo's own little idea coming back to bite him. 

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!? Suooooo~, what kind of dares are these?! This not doing this business and then this telling stuff... You gotta reserve that for truth...!!" Leo sighed dejectedly. Maybe this wasn't going to be as fun as he initially thought.

Still, Tsukasa didn't technically break any rules... And he did say stuff about all's fair in love and war earlier, so... Leo made a displeased expression, sticking out his tongue at Tsukasa like a child when they ran out of insults to sling.

"Causeeeee I wanted to. Do I need another reason than that~? Do birds need a reason to fly?! Do I need a reason to climb...?!" He decided to leave it at that - the answer gave a reason fulfilling the "explanation" part of the request... He didn't really need to go into specifics.

Leo ended up looking kind of put out from his dare... Maybe Tsukasa would have to think of something for him to actually do next time. That didn't make him appreciate having Leo stick his tongue out at him, or his answer, however.

"Because you wanted to. Really?" That didn't seem fair. But Tsukasa was too tired to fight him on it. He reached up to rub his temples, regretting never getting aspirin.

"Heh, did you want me to drink it~? The game will only end when that pitcher is empty or one person passes out... It might be the only means of escape... Will you be able to sleep, Suo~? " If it was a test of endurance Leo definitely had the upper hand... Especially since he probably consumed more chocolate and sugar in an hour than one normally would over the course of several days. 

"..." Until it was empty or someone fell asleep... If that was the case, Tsukasa was probably going to be the one to tap out first. He could feel his eyelids falling every once in a while, and he kept forcing them back open. But how much longer could he last? He definitely did not want to drink anything from the pitcher, but falling asleep while Leo was still wide awake seemed like something he'd regret. If Tsukasa woke up and Leo was gone... He didn't even know what he would do.

Tsukasa had an idea for Leo the next time he chose dare, at the very least. He wouldn't go down without some kind of fight.

"Anyhoo... Truth or dare? Show me something interesting Suo~. Be careful... If a king gets bored who knows what sort of things he’ll do. ☆"

Was that a threat?! What kind of 'interesting thing' did he want to see, anyway... Sighing, Tsukasa decided to go with what Leo probably found more 'interesting.' "...Dare."  
  
The second the word left his lips Tsukasa was filled with immediate regret. But a Knight should stick by their word, right...?

It was as though the the word has a revitalizing effect on Leo as he bounced onto his feet with an almost starry-eyed expression. "Wahahaha! Are you sure of this, Suo~? Wait! Why am I asking, you have no choice, no take backs! A man stands by his words, no matter how much he regrets them...!!! Even if you're standing on the plank as the seconds pass by with a _tick-tock, tick-tock_... Even if you sink to the bottom of water, don't cast aside that arrogant armor of pride. ☆"

Ah, so that _had_ been the interesting thing Leo was looking for. Tsukasa watched him pace while remaining silent, trying not to let his nervousness show. Knights were noble and elegant, they shouldn't display something as trivial as nervousness.

Leo began to pace back and forth in front of Tsukasa as he tried to think up a good dare, since he didn't really have one in mind to begin with. He just was excited over the idea of giving Tsukasa a dare, not because he already wanted to force him to do something. "Hmm...!!! I must give you good... No, great dare...!!! But, but... My inspiration has been halted... What do I do... Aaaaah, it's not flowing, like a massive boulder in a tiny stream... Eh... EH?! I'm not tiny dammit!!! Grrrr!!!! Say it again and I'll make you regret it...!!!"

He was about to grab something to throw though stopped midway when he was struck by an idea. "Oh! I can ask the aliens!! Wahahaha... I'm a genius. But will they respond back...? Ucchuuuuuu~. ☆” Leo struck that odd pose he did earlier. "Call me back dammit... You guys are like the girlfriend that never calls back!!! We're breaking up, okay?! ... The reception's no good..."Leo grinned before falling over laughing because of his word play.  

Tsukasa jumped a bit when Leo made like he was going to throw something. "I didn't say anything?!" Leo was really too much... His pun was kind of funny though, Tsukasa would begrudgingly admit.

"Suooooo~. I dare you to try and communicate with the aliens...!!! Ucchuuu~! ☆ Maybe they'll respond to a cute fledgling like you~~~. ☆"

He wanted Tsukasa to make that pose from before... The one he said he was definitely not doing. Of course. Well, it was better than what he had pictured being asked. It was more nonsensical of course, but less humiliating.  
  
"I told you last time, but stop calling me things like pretty or cute." Leo was most certainly only saying that to get a rise out of him... And it was working, damn it. He couldn't stop his need to reply and tell him to quit it. He felt like he was in high school again or something.  
  
Sighing, he made peace signs with both of his hands, bringing them close to his face. "U-Ucchuuuuu..." After a moment of silence Tsukasa put his hands down, feeling incredibly foolish. Of course nothing had answered him...

He coughed into his hand, trying not to let his embarrassment show. "Well then, truth or dare, Leader?"

Leo tilted his head confused for the nth time today. "Why do you call me Leader when I'm not your boss or anything like that... - Aaah, wait, don't answer, it's not allowed!!! Wha... I almost forgot where I was for a moment, whew...!!!" 

Tsukasa himself wasn't quite sure why he had taken to Leader, either. Calling Leo by his name felt too over familiar, and he _had_ been the previous captain of Knights, so while he wasn't currently his boss... He wasn't sure why the word Leader was what came to mind, though. Perhaps because it sounded a little similar to Leo.

Deciding to join Tsukasa back on the couch, Leo almost collided with the younger with a sudden pounce to the poor abused piece of furniture. Thankfully he missed him by a few inches.

"Ya-!" Tsukasa jumped once again, and was very glad when Leo's little flying leap missed him. "How do you have so much energy still..." Really, Tsukasa felt like he was hanging on by a thread.

"And why can't I say pretty or cute?! Compliments are words with good intentions... Suo~ doesn't have to accept them buuuut... It'd be nice if he had the confidence to believe there's good things about himself that he may not notice himself unless pointed out by a stranger, wahahaha... ☆" 

"Um..." So, Leo had been genuinely wanting to compliment him? He glanced away, feeling a little conflicted. Were there good things about himself he was unaware of? Though he tried very hard not to show it, confidence was something he struggled with sometimes, so he supposed it was possible. "... Thank you, I suppose..." 

"One, two! One, two! And through and through the vorpal blade went snicker-snack!... Defeated the wockjagger but if not given praise by the villagers, would the knight still have heroic deed claimed. ♪” Leo sang merrily as he went off on a slight tangent. "With metal stained ruby... This blank knight was left with thoughts alone...! Without being told good or bad was his path... It began to carve wounds in his heart, no longer bold. ♪" Leo clapped his hands loudly in rhythm to match his singing. "Come to my arms, my beamish boy! And let the truth be told...! That shoes and ships and ceiling wax and cabbage-throwing kings?!"

Tsukasa sat in silence as Leo made a mishmash of a poem and what seemed to be his own words. 'Without being told good or bad was his path, it began to carve wounds in his heart'... Was Leo talking about himself? Tsukasa frowned slightly, chest tightening as he ruminated over the words in his head, before Leo spoke up again.

"...... By the way. You, what do you want with me? ............. Oh! The question!!! I pick truth... Surely you've been waiting for this moment, right, Suo~?"

That was a very good question. What _did_ Tsukasa want with Leo? Really, all he should want from him was to bring him in to the captain and wipe his hands of this. But...

Of course he finally chose truth. Tsukasa supposed he should be grateful, it _had_ been what he had been waiting for. The question that had been burning in the forefront of his mind since the story: what was Leo's irreparable mistake, he could finally ask... Though Leo might just drink that disgusting swill instead of sharing.  
  
He decided to be truthful, himself. "I am not certain what I want from Leader. I should just want to get rid of you, you are so incredibly tiring. But... I know that Leader is hurting a lot. Leader has been struggling alone this whole time, right? I cannot overlook that. I may be of poor ability, but I want to help you."  
  
Tsukasa turned to Leo, maintaining eye contact as he spoke up again. "So I suppose my question is... Is there truly no way for you and I to fix this, together?"

Upon Tsukasa announcing the question he had decided on for Leo, the ex-officer fell unusually silent, glancing between the redhead and pitcher on the table as if unsure which option he would take. Almost like a deflating bounce house, he slowly slid to the floor until his head was resting against the base of the couch and his legs were all splayed out.

"Hmm... I want to say yes, there's no way. Because to involve even more innocents into this mess... There's only a certain amount of shame that even an idiot king can stand, you know? And there's that stubborn fault of pride that persists in every Knight."

He played with his now even messier hair absent-mindedly, tugging at the tangled locks.

"To handle things on our own... As strong individuals... To not be able to shoulder our self-made burdens on our own makes us feel unworthy of wielding our blades... We'd rather go to the our graves than admit weakness."

Leo closed his eyes, a wistful smile gracing his lips.

"... But my _desire_... My need is not necessarily the  _truth._  Again, it is a matter of pride. A matter of feelings... Not something concrete like Ruka-tan's love of cats or your's of sweets... The truth would be... I don't know. You overestimate me, Suo~. I'm not some omnipotent, all-powerful god~. I'm a great genius loved by the Gods, but I'm not a God myself. I don't have all the answers, so I can't rule out the possibility."

Leo bit his lip, expression becoming a bit unpleasant as he admitted his foolishness.

"You weren't in my predictions, Suo~. A game piece on the board that went unnoticed by the weak king until now. An unknown addition to this otherwise zero-sum game? You're inexperienced, and I know nothing about you, but... Perhaps that can be enough to tip the odds in one's favor. Even a not-so-powerful rook has a part to play... And can become the glimmer of hope.

"... Is that the sort of answer you wanted to hear, Suo~?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Frabjous day' is the day Alice killed the Jabberwocky and the Red Queen loses her power.  
> There are a few other references too, we'll add them here later.


	5. Chapter 5

Tsukasa stayed dutifully silent until the end. When Leo had finished, he took a moment to gather his thoughts, before replying.  
  
"There is no shame in asking for help. Even though it is tempting to try and shoulder everything alone, we are comrades, are we not? Even if just a little, we should shoulder our heavy and painful burdens together. We aren't solitary nomads, we are a band of knights. We should stick together, until the end."  
  
Much more elegantly than Leo, Tsukasa also made his way to the floor, sitting with his legs crossed. "I also don't know Leader that well, but... I feel like I learned a lot today. And if I was to 'cast judgment,' I would say I do not think Leader is a bad person." As he called back to Leo's own words from before, Tsukasa hesitated for only a moment before reaching out to grip one of Leo's hands in both of his. It wasn't like him to really initiate contact, but somehow it felt natural.  
  
"Mmm, it was the answer I wanted, more or less. At least it wasn't a no, that there was no way I could help..." Tsukasa smiled, perhaps the first time he had since he'd gotten home. "And because Leader was honest, I offer my thanks, and my promise that I will do what I can, to help you return to your knights."  
  
It would be difficult; especially if Leo's 'mistake' was as severe as he feared it was. But if they could expose the group that had followed Leo, the 'not so merry men' and the ones who controlled them... Could that be enough to save Leo?  
  
But, they could talk more in the morning. Tsukasa was sure if he wasn't in bed in the next ten minutes he'd fall asleep on the floor. Letting go of Leo's hand, he yawned, covering his mouth as he did so. "I take it this little game is over...?" Leo hadn't asked him if he picked truth or dare, after all.

Though he kept silent throughout Tsukasa’s words, there was no helping the furious blush that crept across Leo's face when the younger male took his hand... Like a knight swearing fealty to his lord. It wasn’t a naive eager promise of the impossible, but one of hope; warm and inviting while offering the possibility of a chance.

Leo wouldn’t admit it, but at that moment, Tsukasa looked rather radiant; a young man truly worthy of the name Knights.

Leo grinned.

"... Eh? Noooo, we're not done yet...!! Let's play to our heart's content, Suo~. ♪" Leo gestured wildly at the untouched pitcher of questionable liquid that had begun to froth oddly due to the combination of ingredients. "Such a waste...! If you'll be Jekyll, I'll be Hyde... Though it'd wound my pride just a bit to end this battle in a tie..."

Leo could certainly change moods at the drop of a hat. "... We aren't?" Tsukasa was sure that some higher power was testing him. When Leo gestured over to it, Tsukasa couldn't help but grimace at the pitcher still on the table. Oh God, had it gotten nastier looking? "Jesus Christ..." he mumbled under his breath as he took in the monstrosity.

Leo grabbed two pairs of markers, connecting each set to make two longer ones and shoved one into Tsukasa's hand. "Is it better to have both wounded rather than one dead...?! Wahahaha! You tell me which you'd prefer... The choice is yours Suo! It's before curtain call and your blade can only strike once more before shattering... Will you strike against your enemy for a chance of victory...?! Or do aim to strike and shatter their battered blade...?!"

Standing up, Leo pointed his 'sword' at Tsukasa while sporting his signature toothy grin. "We began with only two possible paths... Truth or dare. Good or bad... Limiting ourselves and daring not venture beyond the rusted drawbridge!! Wahahaha... Tell me, newbie... What will you do...☆"  
  
As he regarded his marker sword, Tsukasa carefully considered his options. He had just said they should shoulder burdens together, so his answer should be split the pitcher and then sleep. But...  
  
Tsukasa wasn't feeling as self destructive as Leo. "Ugh, fine. Dare." Only slightly self destructive.  
  
He stood up from the floor, only to sit back down on the couch. At least if he passed out from exhaustion, he'd be on something soft. As he waited for Leo to give him a dare, he idly swung around the markers, careful not to go too hard lest his 'battered blade' broke into two.

Leo raised an eyebrow at Tsukasa's choice, he was almost certain Tsukasa would choose to just get the game over with given his notable level of exhaustion at the moment but he had opted to continue...

"Oh?! Suo swings his sword but what will his opponent counter with...?! Instead of waiting for the curtain to fall, he slashed it open... How long before they reach the climax...? Wahaha!!! If possible this villain would like to draw it out until you breath your last breath... ☆"

He swung the marker sword a bit more roughly than Tsukasa, though it didn't snap from the motions.

"Is it cheating if I call upon the advice of others? Wahahahahaha... I'm a villain after all, I'll do what I please...!! Beethoven lend me an ear...! Vivaldi, even if baroque, you have great value...!! Bach... Be on hold if I need your organs...!!!"

He tapped the tip of his sword to Tsukasa's.

"... I dare you to end this game."

He cackled maniacally.

"Suo~'s answer... I want to see it, so I'm forcing your hand!!! It's the final act, and the audience is waiting with eager breath along with the cast!!! It's only the protagonist left, with only one line to utter......!!! Use whatever resources you want at your disposal, as long as you resolve this battle in a satisfactory way I won't get mad...☆"

"......" Tsukasa was definitely not pouting. At all. He was an adult, after all.

"That's definitely not fair..." Maybe he was. Just a tad, though. He had been smiling, enjoying Leo's odd musical puns before he finally said his dare.  
  
If the game could only end when the pitcher was empty... Would he really have to drink it by himself? Tsukasa may have done a few things tonight that he knew were idiotic, but he wasn't a masochist. He wasn't going to drink that entire pitcher if he could. But if he had lost his chance to only drink half of it, was he screwed?  
  
He placed his marker sword on the table and grabbed the pitcher before standing. "If this just has to be empty, then..."  
  
Tsukasa bolted for the kitchen, leaning over the counter and dumping the concoction into the sink. As the liquid went down he felt himself gagging as he looked at the items Leo had placed inside... Regaining his composure, he turned back to face the living room. Some of the wine had spilled when he ran, but thankfully it only got on the floor. He'd clean it up before sleeping.

"..................Oh? " Leo wasn't one to be startled easily so when Tsukasa grabbed the pitcher and ran, he only followed him with a curious glance. As some of the liquid spilled onto the floor in the redhead's haste, Leo couldn't help it as his lips tugged upward as he put two-and-two together, amused at the 'solution' Tsukasa had come up with.

Tsukasa gave Leo an impish grin. "Well, it is empty, we did not both have to be 'wounded,' and neither of us had to 'die.' A nice solution, wouldn't you say~?"

When Tsukasa returned sporting that cheeky grin, Leo burst into a fit of laughter while clapping his hands all while exclaiming, "Wahahaha...!!! Bravo, bravo...!! A brilliant change to the script, Suo~... Aaah, a bit boring cause it ended so peacefully, but... I can't say I didn't like this unpredictable twist! I really like you! I love youuuu~. ☆"

Glad that Leo seemed to be satisfied by his answer, Tsukasa walked back into the kitchen for some paper towels. "I-I said to stop saying that, right? Honestly..." Somehow, Leo's words had brought a small flush to his cheeks. He blamed the exhaustion.

After a few more rounds of clapping Leo somehow ended up comfortably sprawled, flat on his back like an overgrown feline on the floor. "As promised, I won't run away so go ahead and go to bed~. You're super duper duuuuper tired right? Wahahaha! I bet you had a long day... I wonder what happened... ☆" Leo grinned in an obnoxiously knowing manner.

Tsukasa grabbed a roll of paper towels, garbage bags and duct tape, responding to Leo as he roamed the kitchen. "I wonder indeed..." Tsukasa grumbled under his breath. "I am very tired... How are you not? If it was the chocolate, won't you be crashing soon?" As much as Tsukasa liked sweets, he knew after the initial high came the inevitable crash.

"Hmm... Maybe!!! Who knows, I certainly don't...!? Until my resources are depleted to zero it's a waste to let them drain while sleeping?!" Leo rolled around the floor to entertain himself while Tsukasa cleaned up the area of the penal tea, because of course it was more helpful than actually offering a hand.

"I shall get you some blankets and a pillow. You can stay on the couch."

If Tsukasa was feeling really generous he'd let Leo take his bed, but. Leo had already written all over the couch and its pillows. He didn't want the same for his bed.

"... And so ends the prologue of a Tale of Two Kitties... ♪" Leo took a moment to snicker at his terrible pun. "Do you have any predictions for chapter one~? Will the hero continue to emerge victorious?! Or fall to... Disaster... Wahahahaha!!! Regardless of the outcome, I'll be looking forward to it... ☆"  
  
Gagging slightly, Tsukasa cleaned up the sink, before returning to the living room and mopping up the spilled drink with paper towel. "... I do not have any predictions. In fact, I am quite nervous about what is to come. But I will hold you to that promise, that you won't run away. Please do not end up eating your words."

"Eat my words... Suoooooooo~, will you make breakfast? I wanna see Suo~ in a cute apron! Making waffles!!! And eggs and coffee and donuts and fried chicken and - actually, can you cook?" He raised an eyebrow as he scanned the other male over as he cleaned. A well-off young man in his own bachelor pad with a job in law enforcement...  "Actually, never mind~. ☆"

"... An apron..." Tsukasa didn't even own an apron. But that was besides the point! A 'cute' apron?! Just what was Leo imagining...  
  
Tsukasa also couldn't really cook. He could make eggs, but fried chicken was a little out of his area of expertise.

After cleaning up the spill Tsukasa disposed of the paper towels before heading into his room. He placed the garbage bags and tape by the busted window, planning to at least cover it before sleeping. It wouldn't do to end up with... Bugs in his room while he was sleeping. Shuddering at the thought, he went to the closet, pulling out a sheet, a blanket, and a pillow.  
  
Tsukasa walked back into the living room, stepping over Leo as he made his way to the couch. He placed the items he had retrieved on the couch for Leo to do with as he wished. He just hoped that didn't involve writing.  
  
"Oh... Would you like some pajamas?" It had completely slipped his mind. "If those are the only clothes you have with you, you probably should not sleep in them... We are about the same height, so mine should fit."

Leo remained on the floor, however. "Mm...!! I can juuust sleep on the floor, I'm used to it wahahaha!!! I get lost a lot, so I end up staying outside... ☆" He rolled over as if to prove a point. "No need for stuffy pajamas! Just think of it as... Camping?! Yeah!! There's no fancy-smancy pajamas when you're on a foreign ground...?!"

His expression suddenly turned incredulous as he sat up in an instant. "..........Uwooooah?! Have I been abducted again?!" He pointed an accusing finger at Tsukasa. "Are you even human......?! Is this area fifty-one... I've finally... Aaaaaaah?!?!? You all want to probe me for my secrets, right?! This is all an elaborate scheme to..."

Leo's hands were clenched tightly, the bony knuckles turning white from the action and he darted backwards along the floor not stopping until his back hit the wall, expression all of a sudden mixed with some form of paranoia.

Tsukasa had been about to tell Leo to get up and use the couch when he suddenly began acting... Even stranger than Tsukasa had gotten used to. "... Leader?" He stayed where he was, uncertain of how to react. Was he teasing him? Or was this... Real? He honestly couldn't tell.  
  
The redhead approached Leo slowly with his hands out, trying not to scare him anymore than he already seemed to be. When he was close, he crouched down so he was eye level with Leo. "Um, I do not quite understand what is happening, but I am human..."  
  
He had training for dealing with nervous and paranoid suspects, but he felt all of that nearly fly out of his head as he stared at Leo. He could be faking it; he seemed like a pretty good actor. But he didn't want to doubt Leo, not when he was going to need to trust him to help him.  
  
Reaching out a hand, Tsukasa covered one of Leo's fists with his own. "I am human, and I am not going to do anything to you... Okay?"

"... Suooooo~.  You're human. A good human..." Leo's voice dropped to a whisper after a long pause. If he noticed the hand on his own, he gave no acknowledgement. "What does it mean to be human...? What happens to someone who is no longer human? If you sell your soul to the devil... Can you ever get it back?"

Without warning he wrapped his arms around Tsukasa's neck and leaned in so he was resting against him. "Warm... Humans are warm. I'm always cold... No matter what I do. It's always s-so cold... I think it's 'cause I lost something... I mean, I'm always losing things, my way... But..."

At least Leo recognized him. But did Leo's words mean he saw himself as no longer human? He had been about to try and console the other as best he could when suddenly Leo was hugging him. Tsukasa tensed up, unsure of what to do, so he remained still as Leo continued to speak

And again just like before without warning, Leo quickly pulled from Tsukasa, blinking a few times before he crawled over to where the couch was and yanked the blanket off to wrap around himself like a cocoon. "Wahaha! Anyway, it's getting late, you should sleep Suo~!!! Don't let me keep you up!! And to all a good night... Merry Christmas!! Uh... Well close enough, it'll come eventually... ☆"

Plopping to the ground he stared in Tsukasa's direction. "Unless you want me to tuck you in first~? Wahahaha, papa will spoil you if you want, just say the word... ☆"

Before Tsukasa could react to the hug Leo was back by the couch. Now Tsukasa was the one who was feeling cold. He stood slowly, shaking his head. "I am not a child..."  
  
Even if Leo told him go to bed, it felt wrong to leave Leo like this. When he thought about it, Leo's touchiness made some sense. If he was on the run, how much human contact could he possibly have? Being by yourself had to make one cold...  
  
Sighing, Tsukasa walked over to Leo's side once more, kneeling down next to him. He hesitated for a long moment before gingerly wrapping his arms around the other male, blanket and all.

Leo stiffened at the embrace despite initiating the same exact motion not even a few minutes ago. It was almost laughable how pitiful he was - how he had become that even this person, who barely knew him, was able to see through him so well.

He missed the excited shy conversations with Ruka. The way she would gasp in delight when Little John sneaked into their modest home to play. He missed how Izumi would yell at him whenever he forgot to file his paperwork (which was every time) but end up doing it for him anyway. He missed how Ritsu would nap in the breakroom and offer to share his pillow when Leo was feeling tired after a sleepless night. He missed how Arashi would drop by his office and give him the latest fun gossip...

It was lonely. It's still lonely... But deserved, since he had chosen to give it all up without so much as a goodbye.

"... If you take this the wrong way I swear I will not hesitate to hit you, but... If you want to be close to someone, I understand. While not my favorite thing, never receiving any kind of physical affection isn't good for you, either. So, um... If you want, I don't mind sharing my bed."  
  
For a moment Tsukasa wondered if he was becoming just as mentally unsound as Leo. He was literally inviting a near stranger to share his bed. But... Sure, he may not know the things you would learn about a person first, like favorite food, or color, or something else equally normal and mundane. But he had gained a fairly deep insight into Leo, he believed. And he knew that Leo was a little more broken than he first thought, and if Tsukasa could provide some comfort, he would try his best to. Even if that comfort was just providing some warmth for the night.

"Suo~... You shouldn't really be inviting strangers into your bed after only one night?! What would your parents think...?!" Leo made a scandalized face, bringing his hands up to his mouth in a dramatic gasp.

"Save that bed offer for someone you really like, Suo~. Whoever that will be, they'll be lucky to have you~. ♪"

"... I said not to take it the wrong way," Tsukasa reminded as, true to his word, he gave Leo's shoulder a punch. It just perhaps wasn't all that hard of a punch.

"...... I know you mean well, but I'll be okay. I'm no Humpty Dumpty... I'm a full-grown clucker~. Besides, you're the prudish proper type, right? You don't hafta make yourself more uncomfortable than you already are with this situation. I promised, right? I won't run, so sleep comfortably... ♪"

Tsukasa nodded once as Leo gave his answer, then stood. If Leo refused, he wasn't going to force him. Especially since Leo was looking out for his well-being and feelings, as well. But... "If you need anything, feel free to wake me. I won't mind. And I would appreciate it if you slept on the couch, not the floor..."  
  
Again, Tsukasa wouldn't force him, but he couldn't see how one would be more comfortable on the floor. He made his way to his room and to the closet once again, pulling out another blanket, before returning to the living room. "If you get cold," was his only explanation as he laid the blanket on the couch.

Leo yawned loudly as mental fatigue set in as the sugar high finally finished its course. His body trembled ever so slightly, shoulders drooping as he felt his remaining energy drain out of him. "Go on, shoo shoo~." He lazily gestured with one hand while pulling out his loose ponytail with the other.

"... Goodnight, Leader. Sweet dreams." And with that, Tsukasa walked back to his room, shutting the door behind him.

"Sweet dreams, Suo~!" Leo echoed after Tsukasa. It would be nice if he _could_ have sweet dreams for once, though he wasn't holding his breath. Nightmares had been common after he left, though they had been a bit less frequent with the appearance of dreamless nights. The dreamless nights came easier when he forced himself awake for long periods of time. Like today.

Too tired to do most of his nightly routine, Tsukasa decided to just cover the window, change, then sleep. Walking over to the broken window, he could feel the chill that had seeped into his room. Maybe _he_ would be the one to need extra blankets.  
  
As he set about taping up the hole, Tsukasa couldn't help but think of Leo's words. "Someone I really like..." He muttered to himself. "Not that there is anyone like that." He took a moment to admire his handiwork, before grabbing his pajamas.  
  
While changing, he realized his phone was still in his pocket. If he called now, while Leo was unsuspecting... But that was all the more reason to not, right? It felt like Leo was beginning to trust him, so to betray his trust now felt wrong. Instead he turned his phone off, hoping Leo was right and Izumi would understand if he didn't go into work tomorrow.  
  
After he finished changing, Tsukasa more or less flopped onto his bed, groaning slightly. Today had been incredibly long... He barely managed to make it under the covers before he was out like a light.

With Tsukasa gone, Leo laid staring at the ceiling as he idly traced various shapes of constellations and lines of music with a finger, like a sleepy conductor with a no-man orchestra. It was a technique he had developed over the months to help lull him to sleep, whether he be outside under the stars or under a roof... He had the universe's map etched into his brain, after all.

 _'What am I doing here?'_ Leo had asked himself that many times today, as well as toyed with the idea of leaving when the opportunity presented itself. It would've been so easy to leave now and disappear forever, but...

He had made a promise.

Sure, his behavior and actions did nothing to support the fact that he was one to keep promises, and he painted himself as the villain and a coward many times, so... If he did, it wouldn't come as too much of a shock to the sleeping redhead. But... He could only imagine that disappointed expression. He didn't mind if he become angry with him, but... He didn't want the young officer to feel discouraged. To feel stupid and naive for placing trust in another... To take a chance on a stranger with so much to lose and so little to gain.

Leo did not want cause Tsukasa's loss of faith in humanity.

With a heavy sigh, he pulled his hood over his head before making his way over to the couch, and promptly passing out atop of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no see! We apologize for the lengthy delay, both of us got too busy to edit. But we were inspired by the recent event announcement! Hopefully there are many cute leokasa moments~.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys it's been a while! Uh. we don't really have any excuses other than laziness... but we do appreciate the comments as a reminder to update haha. <3

His phone being off combined with his complete exhaustion from the day before, Tsukasa woke up later than he normally did, but not at a completely unreasonable time. Instead of 6:00 AM his clock read 8:30. He groaned softly as he sat up, still feeling tired. But, there were more pressing issues to take care of at the moment...  
  
Tsukasa approached the door, taking a deep breath as he placed his hand on the door knob. Bracing himself for anything, including a possibly empty living room, he opened the door slowly.  
  
_... Okay_ , he had thought he braced himself for anything. He hadn't really prepared himself for Leo's lower half being the only thing on the couch, his front on the floor. "How did he even manage that..." He whispered to himself as he walked into the living room. He appeared to be sound asleep. Shaking his head, Tsukasa made his way to the kitchen. He wasn't going to wear a 'cute apron,' and he wasn't going to make everything Leo had mentioned yesterday. But eggs with toast and (decaf) coffee (with a lot of milk and sugar) sounded good. Tsukasa figured it could be like a reward for Leo keeping his word and not running while he slept.  
  
When everything was ready, he brought the plates and mugs into the living room. Since it had been drawn on, there was no harm in having breakfast on the couch. Placing their food on the coffee table, he hesitated, unsure of how to wake Leo. He settled for stooping down and shaking his shoulder gently.  
  
"Leader, wake up... Did you sleep well? I made breakfast."

"Uwoo... Whazzat...?"

Had it not been for the gentle prodding and the inviting smell of breakfast, Leo would've responded in a much more different manner. Namely one involving self-defense maneuvers worthy of a highly-trained officer who once held the title of Captain. However, instead, he groggily mumbled some words in response to Tsukasa's action.

Not awake enough to comprehend the other male's words much less answer his question Leo then responded with a head nuzzle against the hand that had shook his shoulder. “Mmm... warm..."

"Ah..." The way Leo was nuzzling his hand reminded Tsukasa of a cat. A big lazy oaf of a cat. _'It's kind of cute,'_ he thought with a smile as he let Leo rest for a moment longer.

But like with all things Leo he was coming to realize, the calm moments just didn't last.

Leo stayed like that for a bit, resting his cheek against the palm of Tsukasa's hand, barely conscious before falling asleep with a sudden nod - only to yelp painfully as his head hit the floor unexpectedly.

"A-Are you all right...?" Tsukasa felt a little guilty. If he hadn't told Leo to sleep on the couch... Well, how was he supposed to know Leo couldn't even sleep like a normal person?!

"Whaaaa it hurts?! W-why...?! This cramp in my neck... This pain in my head... Like the pounding of a nail against my brain...!!! Actually where am I...?!" He turned his head, only to notice Tsukasa and have all the memories of yesterday night sink back in. _'Oh riiiight.'_

"Suoooo~ You made breakfast...?! Good job good job, let me reward you with a proper good morning greeting...!!! Ucchuuuuu~☆ ” After doing his silly pose, he rubbed the side of his head, nursing the minor ache.

"What's on the agenda today~?" Leo grinned as he helped himself to a piece of toast.  
  
Shaking his head at Leo's pose, Tsukasa walked to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of aspirin and a glass of water. He placed them both next to Leo's cup of coffee, before taking his own and sitting on the couch.  
  
"... I don't know," he admitted as he closely regarded his mug as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. Tsukasa found it hard to look at Leo as he confessed to being unsure of where to go from here. It was a little embarrassing that after promising to help Leo fix everything, he wasn't even sure where to start.  
  
Trying to lighten the mood, Tsukasa gave a wry smile before answering, "Not work at least. I suppose first we hope the Captain doesn't kick down the door to bite my head off."

"MMmrk mmoker...!!" Leo responded with his cheeks bulging and mouth filled to maximum with toast and eggs. He paused, realizing that he probably needed to swallow his food before talking - or at least be understood and helped himself to the cup of coffee, gulping as much of the hot liquid as possible to ease the remnants of food down.

"Please don't talk with your mouth full, it's disgusting." Leo resembled a hamster with his cheeks puffed like that, and Tsukasa had to stop himself from laughing. That wasn't appropriate behavior, he shouldn't encourage it. He was an adult. 

"...........Hot!!!" Leo winced, rather comically in a belated reaction as he stuck out his tongue and made a fanning motion as if it would help cool his mouth down. "...And so sweet?! What kind of disgraceful coffee is this?! The subtle aroma and bitterness of coffee has been murdered by sugar...!!! And why is it so milky... This is supposed to be an adult's drink not a kid's?! Is this coffee or coffee-flavored milk...?!"

Instead of continuing to run his mouth in a rant he realized he could cool his mouth with the glass of water. And so he did after popping the aspirin in and swallowing it dry _like some sort of monster_. "Aaaah... That's better..."

... He was just an adult that didn't like bitter coffee. Tsukasa felt his face flush as Leo berated how he had prepared it. He probably should have asked how he liked it before just doing as he pleased, but he was so used to only making some for himself. "I-If you don't like it, don't drink it! Hmph!" He took a sip of his own, instead of gulping it like some kind of animal. In his opinion he thought it could be a tad sweeter, but he didn't feel like getting up again.

Revitalized by the intake of food Leo cheerfully bounced over to the couch to join Tsukasa, plopping next to him with a impish grin. "Sena wouldn’t do that... He'd probably complain about ruining his shoes if he did~." Leo laughed a bit as he rested his head on Tsukasa's shoulder suddenly reminiscent as he recalled his former comrade while wondering how much he (and the others) have changed since his own departure. "Suo~ must be quite impressive if Sena chose you to join Knights...☆"  

It wasn't really praise but rather an observation - though he supposed it could be taken as such. Leo still couldn't really place why Izumi had sent Tsukasa looking for him... and after all this time. The pieces didn't quite line up and it frustrated Leo's natural curiosity. All he could do was guess based off his interactions and observations so far but it wasn't enough to form anything concrete as of yet...

Though given Tsukasa's personality and work ethic, he might have an inkling as to why Izumi chose him. Maybe.

Tsukasa stiffened at the contact, taken slightly aback by the way Leo was acting so familiar with him. He nearly missed Leo's next words as he tried to form a polite way to tell Leo to get off.

"Is that right..." There were others who were interested in joining Knights, who had similar grades as Tsukasa. So he knew something about him must have stuck out to Izumi, but he wasn't quite sure what. He did know that he had felt immense joy upon being accepted, having looked up to Knights for a very long time, admiring them and the job they did. And he was probably throwing all that away...  
  
He took another sip of coffee, trying to distract himself from the ache he felt forming in his chest. Tsukasa made a promise, so even if he ended up disgracing himself, he would do what he could to keep it.

"If you're free... Then let’s summon a UFO...☆"

Though sometimes when Leo blurted out his nonsense Tsukasa found it hard not to toss him out the same window he entered from. "Let's do _what_ , now?"

Leo gave him a disappointed look as if what he just said was not only a normal suggestion but the next obvious activity they should partake in.

"Summon a UFO!" Leo gestured upward towards the ceiling. "Have you never done it before Suo~? You have to try at least once... Maybe you'll discover something you've never even considered... ☆"

Tsukasa just gave him a raised brow as he continued to sip on his coffee. Really he should start eating before his food got cold, but for the moment he resigned himself to being Leo's pillow. "I can't say that I have ever participated in something so nonsensical, no."

Almost as if reading Tsukasa's mind, he added, "They won't abandon you just for straying off the usual path once you know~ Riding Hood was a rebellious child but her reckless actions saved her grandma in the end from the big bad wolf... ☆" He curled his hands into 'claws' and did an impression of a wolf's growl - which really just sounded like his usual "grrrrrr!!!".

Leo's words made Tsukasa pause. He sat there, mug resting in his lap, running his finger around the rim. Had his worry been that obvious? "... I'm Riding Hood again?" The second those words came out of his mouth he was reminded of yesterday and Leo's 'greeting.' Ugh, just when he had managed to forget. Tsukasa raised his mug back up, hoping it would help hide his blush.

"...Oh!" Leo rolled off the couch onto his feet. "Suo~! I'm also an adult...!!" He paused, waiting for Tsukasa to process his declaration because it was obviously... not an obvious fact.

 _'Wow, could have fooled me,'_ Tsukasa thought to himself.

"I need to get cleaned... A UFO won't come to someone super icky like a kid?!" He flailed his arms wildly in a panic. He wasn't in bad shape but... There were remnants of dirt from scaling the building (and probably rolling around as often as he did) and chocolate from yesterday on his clothes. There were ink stains on his hands and maybe a smudge or two on his cheek that came off from laying on vandalized furniture. His hair still untied and tangled from sleeping looked not unlike a lion's mane. All in all, he looked significantly more hobo-esque today than he did yesterday.

He should probably brush his teeth too. Leo eyed the coffee, considering just gargling that down as a substitute.

Tsukasa agreed it good idea for Leo to shower, even if his reasoning was pretty idiotic. He hadn't wanted to bring it up yesterday, but the other, well... Didn't smell as fresh as he could, if he put it lightly.  
  
"Of course, I'll show you to the bathroom." Placing his nearly empty mug on the coffee table, he stood, gesturing for Leo to follow him. Tsukasa opened the bathroom door for Leo, before heading to his closet and pulling out the fluffiest towel he could find.  
  
"Here." Tsukasa pressed the towel in Leo's hands, before pointing around the bathroom. "Body wash is that one, shampoo and conditioner are over there. Left knob is hot, right is cold. Hmmm..." He couldn't think of anything else Leo would need to know. He was about to leave when a thought did strike him.

Leo resisted the immediate urge to throw the fluffy towel as soon as it was handed to him over his head like a superhero cowl. It was quite tempting thought, and it took almost all his willpower not to as he nodded idly as Tsukasa pointed out the various bottles and nozzles.

"Do you want me to throw your clothes in the wash?" The building had shared laundry on every floor (that, embarrassingly, one of his maids had to show him how to use), so it wouldn't be a problem to just toss Leo's clothes in before eating. "It probably won't be done by the time you finish, I can lend you some clothes?"

"Soon we will summon a UFO~ Aaah wait for me and we'll meet at the space station~ ♪" He nearly jumped into the bathtub clothes and all when Tsukasa offered to take his clothes for a wash.

"Oh?" Leo raised his arms as if to inspect himself, or rather his current clothing. He supposed it wouldn't hurt to have them washed... "Okay!! Here... Just a sec...!!" He grinned in appreciation at the other male's generosity and stripped off his jacket, throwing it in Tsukasa's direction trusting him to catch it. Then came the shirt. And the pants. Aaand socks.

Leo hesitated as he stood there in his boxers but ultimately stripped himself of those too, tossing them at Tsukasa before shutting the door of the bathroom close with a "Thanks Suoo~!."

The second Leo's pants came off Tsukasa was looking the other way, blush spreading over his face. It wasn't any easier the second time... Because he was looking away he missed the socks and boxers, and they landed in front of him in the hallway. When the door shut Tsukasa let out a sigh of relief, picking up the remaining clothes from the floor.

The sound of the water running immediately followed along with loud obnoxious singing.

"Sixty-six bottles of beeeeeeeer on the waaaaaall~♪ Sixty-six bottles of beeeeeeeer~ Knock one down, smash it wit' a crown... sixty-five bottles of beeeeeeerrrr...♪" To say Leo's singing was obnoxious was an understatement. He had started at a hundred bottles and was determined to reach zero even if it meant singing some verses at rapid speed. For some reason he refused to keep the simple lyrics consistent and even the genre as he went from the original tune, to Broadway musical, to idol pop to street rap.  
  
Making his way to the laundry room, Tsukasa checked the pockets of the pants and jacket before he threw them in the washing machine. He found an errant marker and some loose change, but nothing else. Feeling lazy, he placed all the items in one washer. He'd put it on cold to not ruin them, and so he didn't waste three machines.  
  
Once the clothes were in he walked back to his apartment and to his closet. He picked out some clothes that were loose on himself, since Leo seemed to like that baggy jacket. After grabbing a random pair of boxers, he made his way back to the bathroom, knocking once before opening the door slightly.  
  
"I have some clothes... I'm just going to drop them in here." And that he did, before shutting the door again and heading back to the living room and his now cold breakfast.

While Leo waited for the conditioner to set (he may have been a slob but he wasn’t an uncivilized monster as Izumi and Arashi would berate him for opting for 2-in-1 formula), he had grabbed the tube of toothpaste from the sink and squeezed a generous amount into his mouth to gargle several verses of his song with.

He only spat it out when he accidentally inhaled and ended up sputtering for a few seconds.

When he finally finished and dried himself off, he carefully put on the clothes Tsukasa had lent to him - noting they were pretty comfy. Though his hair was still a bit damp, he didn't like how long it had gotten over the past few months and felt against his neck so he ended up tying it in his signature side ponytail anyway.

"Suooooo~?" Leo cracked the door open and shivered slightly as the steam escaped from the room at the sudden change in temperature.

Tsukasa didn't hear the other call out, having moved to the kitchen to warm up his breakfast in the microwave as he thought about what their first order of business should be. Before Tsukasa acted too rashly, he'd need to get more information out of Leo... Starting with just who these nameless enemies of 'Robin Hood' were.  
  
The timer finally hit zero, and he took his plate out and decided to just eat in the kitchen, taking a seat at the small table he had within it.

After taking a moment to adjust to the temperature, Leo wandered into the hallway, pausing near the bedroom where he had broken through the window the night before... Which had been mended. Kinda. It would be easy to just make a break for it now... He had promised to technically stay only until morning, so...

He took a step toward the room before stopping himself, his expression overcast with shame. _'I'm so lame... The worst...'_ He slapped his cheeks a few times, forcing his usual cheery disposition to return before heading back out to the kitchen/living room area.

"Soooo Suooo~ you've seen me twice now, on a scale of 1-to-super-stud, how would you rank me wahahaha...!!!"

Munching on a piece of toast, Tsukasa was trying to find a way to word his questions so Leo knew he was serious, and wouldn't accept anymore nonsense answers or plays this time. He had been innocently eating, minding his own business and thinking of more questions when Leo laid that question on him. He promptly choked on his food, unable to breathe for a moment before managing to clear his throat. He glared weakly at Leo before getting up to get a glass of water.  
  
"You get a zero because I wasn't even looking?! Geez..." He turned off the sink, but didn't turn around back to Leo as he gulped the water down, hoping his blush would leave. He wouldn't say 'super stud' by a long shot but Leo wasn't necessarily unattractive... He had been a little scruffy and smelly yesterday, but there was something about his wild nature that wasn't entirely unappealing to Tsukasa. But that was neither here nor there...!

"Zero...?! Why I'll have you know I’m rather popular with - actually Suo~ doesn't care for that type of thing huh~? Wahahahaha! He seems like the type to have a childhood sweetheart with the wedding date already planned... Anyway, I'm just joking around, have a sense of humor, Suo~!  Don't accidentally fall in love with meeeeee...☆" Leo winked just to make it more cheesy.

Tsukasa raised an eyebrow, wondering just why Leo thought he would have thought something like that. He had dated a few times, but his grades and goals had always come first to him, so nothing ever really worked out. Let alone having a wedding planned... Tsukasa scoffed.

"I'll try not to let that happen," he replied sarcastically, placing his chin in his hand.

He placed the glass down before turning back around, crossing his arms. "Um... Do the clothes fit okay?" He suddenly felt too timid to come out and ask Leo for names. 'Ugh, stop being anxious, Tsukasa...' he told himself, shaking his head while trying to gather his confidence.

Leo gave a small twirl to see the fit of the clothing with movement before giving Tsukasa two thumbs up.

"Okay, I think we need to talk about our plans from here on out..." Tsukasa dumped his eggs in the trash, no longer having much of an appetite, before taking his seat back at the table, gesturing at his other chair for Leo.

"Future plans...?" Leo tilted his head as he went over to the empty chair and sitting on it with his legs high up. "There's no point in trying to see into the future so far. Just take it one step at a time...! Otherwise you'll just get all jumbled and lost." He emphasized his words by twirling his index fingers. "Right now we'll summon a UFO...!!! After that... We should decide then...?! Without knowing what will happen in point A, it's useless to plan point B or C because we can't predict our fate... We're not God after all wahahaha... ☆"

He scooted his chair closer to Tsukasa. "If you want to help someone, it's best to get to know them first... Obtain all information you can, even if it doesn't seem valuable, because who knows...? Even the most insignificant detail can become your key to solving the case... ☆"

Dear God, Leo couldn't even sit normally. It was official, nothing about Leo Tsukinaga was normal. Leo did raise a good point, though Tsukasa was loathe to admit it. It was very hard to try and predict how this would go. But...

"Even if we don't know the exact outcome, isn't having some kind of plan better than nothing? ... And are you still going on about that UFO nonsense? How does one even go about that?"

'Even the most insignificant detail can solve a case...' It wasn't too bizarre a notion. Small things, things people overlooked did often help him solve cases. But, it was never really about people themselves, it was more about the evidence they left behind without knowing...  
  
"... Does that mean you're going to share about yourself, then? And not in a vague, roundabout way?" Since Tsukasa was the one helping Leo, that was what he was getting at, right? He was telling him he should get to know Leo more?

... Somehow that seemed like something that was easier said than done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully we'll be updating a bit more frequently than every 10 months LOL.
> 
> You can also find us on twitter too @Iitojohn ( the I is an i )


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